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COPKBIOHT DEPOStr. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 
COMPLETE 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



COMPLETE 



BY 
W. WILBUR HATFIELD 

Head, Department of English, 
Chicago Normal College 

AND 

A. LAURA McGregor 

Vice-Principal, Washington Junior 
High School, Rochester, N. Y. 




GARDEN CITY NEW YORK 

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 



\\ 



^^^> 



COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY 
DOUBLEDAYj PAGE & COMPANY 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OP 

TRAXSLATION INTO FOREIGX LANGUAGES, 

INCLUDIXG THE SCANDINAVIAN 



PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES 

AT 

THE COINTHY LIFE PRE8S, GARDEN CITY, N. Y. 

First Editinn 



OCT 18 72 

©C1AG86352 
'WO I 



PREFACE 

A TEXTBOOK in composition should include those 
principles of rhetoric, grammar, and mechanics which 
will be immediately useful to the pupils who are to 
use it — all of these principles and no others. Ac- 
cordingly, the authors of English in Service have 
carefully reviewed their own teaching experience and 
studied the various reports on "essentials" to deter- 
mine just what technical instruction pupils in the 
seventh, eighth, and ninth grades find profitable. 
The plan of revealing to the pupils their need of each 
principle before asking them to learn it has acted as 
a further check upon the selection of such material. 
It may be confidently asserted that nothing of major 
importance has been omitted and that the body of 
technical information presented is all valuable to the 
children who will study the book and is as extensive 
as they will have time really to master. 

A textbook should harmonize with the best meth- 
ods of teaching. The authors of English in Service 
take it for granted that 

1. Pupils learn best when they are most interested; 

2. They are most interested when they are attempt- 

ing to realize purposes of their own; 



vi PREFACE 

3. As a rule junior high-school youngsters can be 

more deeply interested in actual communicat- 
ing than in developing technical skill in 
language; 

4. The surest way to give any idea the associations 

which will assure its recall is to use that idea in 
solving a problem or realizing a purpose; 

5. The more the purposes formed and the conditions 

under which they are carried out are hke those 
of extra-school life, the more likely the solu- 
tions are to be used on proper occasions out- 
side the classroom; 

6. The way to develop initiative in children is to 

give them opportunities for its exercise; 

7. The best means of training children for democracy 

is to train them in democracy. 

The entire books, the chapters, and the individual 
sections have been organized in accordance with these 
principles. 

The arrangement of the materials in English in 
Service may best be revealed by an examination of 
the structure of the chapters. First in each chapter 
some undertaking in communication is presented as 
attractively as possible, means of carrying out the 
undertaking are considered, provision is made for the 
actual speaking or writing involved, and the learners 
are led to estimate the degree of their own success 
and to discover so far as possible the causes of success 
and failure. From this consideration of the effective 
and the undesirable in the pui)ils' expression the 
second part of the chapter develops a specific problem 
of form, and helps the learners to work out its solu- 
tion. When the nature of this solution permits. 



PREFACE vii 

there is provided formal drill in its application suffi- 
cient to make the learners certain in their knowledge 
of what is right. Since formal drills will never set 
up habits likely to function in informal — or, better, 
natural — situations, no attempt is made to use them 
for that purpose. The third step in each chapter is 
the presentation of more composition undertakings. 
Shortly, as the fourth step, a second problem of form 
is developed and solved. In most chapters one of 
the problems lies in the field of rhetoric and the other 
in that of grammar or of mechanics. The fifth and 
last portion of the chapter — usually more than half 
— consists of further practice in actual communicat- 
ing, so chosen as to call for the use of the principles 
taught in the second and fourth steps and so con- 
ducted as to make evident the usefulness of the prin- 
ciples in those activities. 

This text gives unusually detailed directions for 
the conduct of class activities. These directions 
introduce into the classroom the procedures em- 
ployed by successful speakers and writers the world 
over. They are well calculated also to develop ini- 
tiative, originality, and self-control in the pupils 
by allowing them to form purposes rather than to 
obey directions, to seek out means of accomplishing 
these purposes, and to cooperate with others almost 
constantly. Such suggestions in the body of the text 
and in the margins have been made complete enough 
to make possible genuinely socialized work with out 
requiring the teacher to do anything more than 
merely keep order. This, of course, for the sake of 
overburdened and inexperienced teachers. Those 



viii PREFACE 

who desire to introduce variations in assignments, in 
emphasis upon technical principles, or in procedures 
will find the text quite adaptable to their needs; in 
many cases such variations are positively invited by 
the language of the directions given. 

The character of the assignments deserves notice. 
These undertakings in which the pupils are asked 
to engage are not just themes but real attempts to 
entertain, inform, or persuade real persons. English 
in Service is more than a title: it is an expression of 
the fundamental character of the book. Just as 
swimming motions practiced while the novice poses 
horizontall}^ on a chair have proved of little aid in 
mastery of the water, so formal drills in mechanics 
and "practice" in composition through *' themes" 
must give way to genuine use of language in the class- 
room. The art of communication is best learned 
through attempts to communicate, with a moderate 
amount of systematic coaching. English in Service 
is planned to stimulate pupils to such attempts and to 
supply whatever counsel will be useful. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

BOOK I 
Chapter I 

FULLNESS OF DETAIL 

THE SENTENCE SENSE 

NIT PAGE 

1. New Circumstances {Oral narrative) . 2 

2. Roundcheeks or Barebones? (Need of details) 6 

3. 'Putting on Flesh (Supplying details) . . 12 

20 

21 

24 



4. A Story Circle (Oral Narrative) 

5. The Sentence Sense (Oral periods) 

6. A Second Chance (Oral Narrative) 

7. A Surprise (Oral narrative) . 

8. Another Story Circle (Oral narrative) . 26 

9. A Fair Exchange (Written narrative. Com- 

pleteness of sentences) 30 

10. A Good Play (Oral narrative) .... 36 

11. Better Speech (Discussion) .... 39 

12. An Incident from a Book I am Reading 

(Oral narrative) 41 

13. A Guide to Reading (Written narrative) 44 

14. \^henl Learned (Oral narrative) ... 48 



CONTENTS 
Chapter II 

RELEVANCE OF DETAIL 

NUMBER OF VERBS 
SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS 



PAGE 



15. Do Animals Reason? {Oral narrative. 

Choosing details) 54 

16. Money and Human Nature (Oral narra- 

tive) 60 

17. How Many.^ {Number: the verb be) . . 62 

18. Practice {Written drill) 66 

19. A More General Rule {Number: all verbs) 68 

20. Practice {Oral drill) 70 

21. More Practice {Oral drill) .... 71 

22. One at a Time (Each of, either of) . . 74 

23. Profitable Play {Language game) . . 76 

24. For Want of a Shoe {Oral narrative) . . 78 

25. A Difficulty Downed {Oral narrative) . 81 

26. In Mother's Shoes — or Father's {Oral nar- 

rative) 85 

27. Subject or Object {Nominative and objec- 

tive cases of pronouns) 87 

28. Another Name for the Same Thing {Pred- 

icate nominative) 91 

29. Parties by Proxy {Oral narrative) . . 94 

30. My Creation {Oral narrative) .... 95 

31. The Rescue {Written narrative) ... 97 

32. ys'\\oVs-As\i? {Language game) ... 100 

33. Tit-for-Tat {Oral narrative) .... 101 

34. The Land of Counterpane {Oral narrative) 104 

35. Vsholhii^li'^ (JMnguagc game) ... 107 

36. I Told You So {Oral narrative) ... 108 



CONTENTS xi 
Chapter III 

SOCIAL LETTERS 
COMPOUND SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES 

UNIT PAGE 

37. Writing for Fun (Social letter. Letter form) 109 

38. Complications {Compound subjects and ob- 

jects) 115 

39. Gone but not Forgotten (Social letter) 118 

40. A Letter to Mail (*Socia/ Z^^/er) ... 120 

41. Please Come! (Informal invitation) . . 121 

42. The Answer (Social Letter. Formal invi- 

tation) . . 123 

43. Tell Me, Please (Written inquiry) . . 124 

44. I Recommend (Social letter) . . . . 125 

Chapter IV 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER 
PREDICATE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 

45. Lost and Found (Oral narrative) . . . 126 

46. My Loss (Oral narrative) 127 

47. Good or WeW? (Predicate adjective or adverb) 128 

48. The "Ly" Words (Adverbs in general) . 130 

49. Practice (Oral drill) 132 

50. More Practice (Oral sentence analysis) . 133 

51. Practice Again (Oral drill) . . . . 134 

52. A Grammar Match (Written and oral drill) 135 

53. Pure Fiction (Written narrative) . . . 136 

54. Misjudged (Written narrative) . . . 141 

55. An Army or ISisLvy Hero (Oral narrative) . 142 



xii CONTENTS 

PAGE 

56. More Fiction (Written narrative) . . 144 

57. Historical Anecdotes (Orai narra/tVe) . . 148 

58. Jokes {Oral narrative) 1^1 

59. A Partnership Story {Written narrative) . 157 



Chapter V 

LOGICAL ORDER IN EXPLANATION 
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 

60. How to ^tudy {Oral explanation) ... 159 

61. A Business Meeting {Written and oral ex- 

planation) .... .... 161 

62. More Adjectives and Adverbs {Modifiers 

of adjectives and of adverbs) .... 164 
63 Useful and Harmful Plants {Oral explana- 
tion) ^^^ 

64. TheBuiionVs'eed {Order in explanation) . 171 

65. R.V.Thrihy {Written explanation) . . 173 

66. Favorites {Oral explanation) .... 175 



Chapter VI 

COMPLETENESS IN EXPLANATION 
PREPOSITIONS 

67. I wonder {Oral explanation . Completeness) 178 

68. Giving Orders (Om/ea:p/anafio7?) ... 182 

69. InterestingInsects(Ora/^a-p/a^m/7O70 . • 185 

70. One More Use of Pronouns {Prepositions 

and their objects) ^^ 

71. A Train Letter (Socio/ /e/M .... 195 



CONTENTS xiii 

BOOK II 
Chapter I 

VIVIDNESS THROUGH DETAIL 
CO-ORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION 



PAGE 



1. An 'EmhsLTYSissmg'NLcYaeiit (Oral narrative) 1 

2. A Letter of July 4, 1776 {Written narrative) 5 

3. Hank Banta's Ducking (Combination and 

subordination) 8 

4. Equals and Dependents (Compound and 

complex sentences) 10 

5. Practice (Written) 13 

6. A Lively Combination (Written narrative) 14 

7. Righteous Indignation (Oral narrative) . 17 

8. Placing Modifying Clauses (6Vo2i2^ ^/W?/) . 18 

9. Practice (Oral and written) 20 

10. A Sample Incident from My Book (Writ- 

ten narrative) 22 

11. An Old Story (OraZ narra/ne) .... 24 

12. Grandfather's Story (WWiiten narrative) . 25 

13. Your Own Paper (Discussion) .... 29 

Chapter II 

EFFECTIVE INITIAL SENTENCES 
THE COMMA 

14. First Impressions (Oral narrative) ... 31 

15. Beginnings (Effective initial sentences) . . 36 

16. Comedies (Oral narrative) 37 

17. Choosing a Vocation (Discussion) ... 39 



xiv CONTENTS 



UNIT 



18. The Series Comma (Punctuation study) . 43 

19. VCovk 1 'Enjoyed {Written riarrative) . . 47 

20. Quoting (Punctuation study) .... 49 

21. An Instance of Courage (Written narrative) 53 

22. Marking the Members (Punctuation study) 59 

23. I'dLiketo DO IT Again (Written narrative) 61 

24. ^\im.Y>u\g\he^\xm.^?> (Efective endings) . 63 

25. Once Only (Written narrative) .... 64 

26. Revising the OutHne (Discussion) . . .65 

27. Planning the Procedure (Discussion) . 68 

28. Illustrated Lectures (Oral Narrative and 

explanation) 70 

29. Our Opportunity (Oral argument) ... 72 

Chapter III 

THE BUSINESS LETTER 
THE COMMA 

"0. Arranging an Interview (Business letter form) 75 

31. The ne\)\y (Business letter) .... 80 

32. Mild Parentheses (Punctuation study) . . 81 

33. Inquiring (Business letter) 84 

34. Merely Explanatory (Punctuation study). 85 

35. Your Opinion of Him (Letter of recommen- 

dation) 89 

36. A Summary (Comma rules) 92 

37. A Vacat ion Order (Order letter) .... 92 

38. Substituting (Business letter) .... 95 

39. Refusing (Business letter) ..... 98 

40. ^Jlieater lockets for Two (Order letter) . 99 

41. A Possible Case (Sales letter) .... 101 



CONTENTS XV 
Chapter IV 

TENSES 

UNIT PAGE 

42. The Influence of Our Feelings {Oral nar- 

rative) 103 

43. Marking the Time {Tenses: "present and 

past) 104 

44. An Explosion {Oral narrative) . . . . 107 

45. A'Reminder {Oral explanation. Vocations) 109 

46. A Dip into the Future {Written narrative) 109 

47. Up Till Now {Present perfect tense) . . 112 

48. Practice {Oral and written drill) . . . 117 

49. Trouble Makers {Principal parts of verbs) 118 

50. Practice {Verb game) 123 

51. The Time Before {Past perfect tense) . . 124 

52. Progressives {Progressive verbs) . . . 125 

53. A Summary {Verb tenses) 127 

54. Vocations Again {Oral explanation) . . 128 

55. The Best Policy {Written narrative) . . 130 
5Q. Thrillers {Written narrative) . . . 131 

Chapter V 
PASSIVE voice 

EXCLUDING THE IRRELEVANT 

57. Some Strange Histories {Oral explanation) 135 

58. Common Scientific Phenomena {Oral ex- 

planation. Passive voice) 140 

59. Science in Industry {Oral explanation) . . 146 

60. A Mystery Solved {Oral explanation) . . 149 

61. A Faulty Narrative (/rre/e?;ance) . . . 151 



xvi CONTENTS 

UNIT PAGE 

6*2. Some Common Figures of Speech (Oral ex- 
planation) 154 

63. A Clever Idea (Oral explanaiioti) . . . 157 

64. fleeting ^emergencies (Oral explanation) . 159 

65. Inventing a Tarty (Written exphmation) . 164 

Chapter VI 

EVIDENCE AND ENTHUSIASM IN ARGUMENT 
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 

66. An Opinion fleeting (Oral argujnent) . . 166 

67. \Miat Counts ]\Iost.^ (Effectiveness in argu- 

ment) 170 

68. How ShainVe Celebrate.^ (Oral argument) 174 

69. Comparison (Comparative and superlative 

degrees) 178 

70. Success (Oral argume?it) 180 

71. Should the School Term be Changed.^ 

(Written argument) 183 

72. A Debate (Formal argument). . . . 185 

73. Investments for Young People (Oral argu- 

ment) 186 

BOOK III 
Chapter I 

FOCUSING narratives AND ARGUMENTS 

1. Reason for Pride (Oral narrative) ... 1 

'2. A Boomerang (Oral narrative. Focusing) . 3 

3. A Bold Bluff (Oral narrative). ... 11 



CONTENTS xvii 



PAGE 



4. Air Castles {Oral narrative) .... 16 

5. A Thrilling Contest {Oral narrative) . . 17 

6. A Real Young People's Book {Written 

narrative) 22 

7. Tiresome! {Written narrative). ... 26 

8. Keeping Up With the Times {Discussion. 

Club organization) 29 

9. In Strange Surroundings {Written narrative) 36 

Chapter II 

THE TOPIC SENTENCE 
REVIEW 

10. Effective Study {Written explanation. 

Topic sentence) . . . . . . . 42 

11. Practice {Written) 48 

12. Adopting a Policy {Discussion) ... 51 
13 Would You Like to Try This.^^ {Newspaper 

study) 54 

14. Prominent Personalities {Written descrip- 

tion) 56 

15. Setting Up Standards {Oral explanation. 

Review) 58 

16. Pooling Information {Oral explanation) . 59 

17. Advertising Your School {News writing) 62 

18. A Cartoon {Oral description and explana- 

tion) 63 

Chapter III 

SPECIFIC DICTION 

19. An Old Topic {Written description. Image- 

ful words) 67 



xviii CONTENTS 

UNIT PAGE 

20. A Sensation {Written description) ... 72 

21. ^\oTdYoTtT^iiis (Oral or uritten description) 75 

22. A Vocabulary Match (Ga 7??^) .... 80 

23. Oh, So Good! (Written description) . . 81 

24. A More Difficult Vocabulary Game . . 85 
26. Christmas Eve (Written narrative) . . 86 

26. Sharing a Pleasure (Written description) . 89 

27. Unpolished (Written narrative) ... 95 

28. A Tenderfoot (Written narrative) . . 97 

Chapter IV 

SENTENCE VARIETY 
ADVANCED PUNCTUATION 

29. A Childish Quarrel (Written Narrative. 

Dialogue form) 99 

30. Earning a CrowTi (Variety of sentence struc- 

ture 102 

31. Rapid Movement (0/Y//7?flrra//rr) . . 105 

32. Variety (Participial phrase) . . . 108 

33. Your Own City (Written report) 111 

34. A Useful Construction (r/z^fife?-?/??^) . 115 

35. ^Xishes (Oral narrative) 116 

36. FourV('d\s to ^iiylX (Infinitives) ... 120 

37. Future Progress (Written narrative) . . 123 

38. A Means of Brevity (The appositive) . 125 

39. hmx^incli I (^Vrittcu uarrative) 127 

40. Vigorous Points (E,rclamation point and 

dash) . 129 

41. A (\)ming Event {Written explanation) . 132 

42. Connna's Big Brother (The semicolon) . 1-5 



CONTENTS xix 

UNIT PAGE 

43. Confusion: Comedy or Melodrama (Writ- 

ten narrative) 138 

44. The Colon (Study and drill) 140 

45. A Competition (Written explanation) . . 142 

Chapter V 

PERSONALIZING ARGUMENT 

46. Philanthropy (Oral argument) . . . . 146 

47. Arguments that Count (Emphasis) . . 149 

48. An Improvement (Oral argument) . . 153 

49. A Class Responsibility (Oral argument) . 157 

50. Getting Your Way (Impromptu argument) 159 

51. More Class Business (Oral discussion) . 160 

52. A Mock Trial (Oral argument) . . . . 161 

53. Excuse Us! (Written argument) . . . 162 

APPENDIX 

Summary of Grammar ....... 164 

INDEX 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 
BOOK ONE 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 

BOOK I 

CHAPTER I 

Every fall the newspapers have many cartoons B,ead 
showing the small boy's unwillingness to return to 
school. They are based upon the false idea that all 
work is tiresome. People who take a real interest in 
their work find genuine pleasure in it. Your English 
work this winter may be just as much fun as most of 
your vacation play, if you are willing to take it in 
that spirit. It will call for some real effort, just as 
the best times of vacation did, but between us — you 
and your teacher, and the writers of this book — we 
can make sure that it is all interesting and far re- 
moved from drudgery. 

The study of English composition is simply the 
study of how to say best the things which one wishes 
to say. You will learn most if you talk and write 
about the things which you would talk and write 
about under natural conditions outside of school. 
So the authors of this book have tried to suggest 
topics in which you will naturally be interested and 
upon which you will have something you wish to say. 
If at any time your class prefers some other subject 
to the one set down here, there is every reason that 

I Booh 1\ I 



2 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 1 ] 

it should follow its own preference. The main point 
is that there should not be any great difference of 
spirit between your talk in class and that before 
school and at recess. 

1 

First Impressions 

^.^°^ You are beginning a new semester — probably a new 

year. You are, perhaps, wondering how the work of 
this grade will be different from that of the grades 
you have passed through, and whether your teacher 
is "nice." Some, at least, of your fellow pupils are 
new to you. x\ccording to your own disposition and 
the circumstances in your school and room this sit- 
uation may arouse mere curiosity, fear, or hope. 
These feelings, however, are not likely to be so keen 
as were those which took possession of you on your 
first morning at school, or upon the occasion of your 
entrance into the second or third grade. You may 
have had the even more stirring experience of moving 
from one school to another, or of being promoted ir- 
regularly, so that you entered a new room either alone 
or with only a few companions. 

Fitul your j^^y ^f ^\^^ subjects mentioned in the preceding 
paragraph — the present situation, your first day at 
school, your entrance into a new school or room, or 
the coming of a new teacher — would be appropriate 
topics for discussion among a group of your friends 
before school or at recess. Then just bring this con- 
versation into the classroom. Do not attempt to 
make a speech, but talk as interestingly as you can 
about any one of these topics. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE S 

In the conversation outside the classroom your ^t^dy 
memory would be stimulated by the questions or re- 
marks of your friends. In the class it is hardly 
possible to have your story interrupted in this way, 
and so you will need to think it over beforehand in 
order to be sure that you have enough detail to make 
it really interesting to your classmates. If you 
choose your first day at school, you will not of course 
attempt to tell everything that happened that day, 
but only one incident which is typical of your 
experience then; or perhaps you will tell how you 
felt on that occasion, with sufficient illustrative de- 
tails to catch the attention of your friends and to give 
them a clear impression. 

When you have prepared your story to your own 
satisfaction, you may use whatever study time is 
left to read the following poems. In the first one, 
Whittier gives us a glimpse of the school he attended ; 
in the second, he pictures his teacher in after-school 
hours. If there is time at the end of the period, your 
teacher will allow you to read for the class whichever 
poem you prefer, but remember that to present a 
poem in a pleasing way the reader must understand 
the meaning, see the pictures, and be able to say the 
words without stumbling. 

In School-Days^ 

Still sits the school-house by the road, 
A ragged beggar sleeping; 
Around it still the sumachs grow 
And blackberry vines are creeping. 

'By permission of and special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin 
Company, the authorized pubHshers. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Within, the master's desk is seen, 
Deep scarred by raps official; 
The warping floor, the battered seats. 
The jack-knife's carved initial; 



The charcoal frescoes on its wall; 
Its door's worn sill betraying 
The feet that, creeping slow to school, 
Went storming out to playing! 

Long years ago a winter sun 
Shone over it at setting; 
Lit up its western window-panes, 
And low eaves' icy fretting. 

It touched the tangled golden curls. 
And brown eyes full of grieving, 
Of one who still her steps delayed 
When all the school were leaving. 



For near her stood the little boy 
Her childish favor singled: 
His cap pulled low upon a face 
Where pride and shame were mingled. 

Pushing with restless feet the snow 
To right and left be lingered; 
As restlessly Iter tiny hands 
The blue-checked apron fingered. 



rr\ 



He saw her lift her eyes; he felt 

The soft hands' light caressing 
And heard the tremble in her voice, 
As if a fault confessing. 



[Bookl] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 5 

"I'm sorry that I spelt the word: 
I hate to go above you, 
Because" — the brown eyes lower fell — 
''Because, you see, I love you." 

Still memory to a gray-haired man 
That sweet child-face is showing! 
Dear girl ! the grasses on her grave 
Have forty years been growing! 

He lives to learn in life's hard school 
How few who pass above him 
Lament their triumph and his loss 
Like her — because they love him. 

J. G. Whittier. 

The Schoolmaster^ 

Brisk wielder of the birch and rule. 
The master of the district school 
Held at the fire his favored place; 
Its warm glow lit a laughing face 
Fresh-hued and fair, where scarce appeared 
The uncertain prophecy of beard. 
He teased the mitten-blinded cat. 
Played cross-pins on my uncle's hat. 
Sang songs and told us what befalls 
In classic Dartmouth's college halls. 
Born the wild northern hills among. 
From whence his yeoman father wrung 
By patient toil subsistence scant, 
Not competence and yet not want. 
He early gained the power to pay 
His cheerful, self-reliant way; 
Could doff at ease his scholar's gown 
To peddle wares from town to town; 

^By permission of and special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin 
Company, the authorised pubHshers. 



6 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Or through the long vacation's reach 
In lonely, lowland districts teach, 
Where all the droll experience found 
At stranger hearths in boarding round. 

A careless boy that night he seemed; 
But at his desk he had the look 
And air of one who wisely schemed 
And hostage from the future took 
In trained thought and lore of book. 
Large-brained, clear-eyed,— of such as he 
Shall Freedom's young apostles be. 

J. G. Whittier: Snoubound. 



Tell your Nqw for the entertainment! You owe it to the 
"^'"^'' others to do your best. AVhen you are called upon, 
rise promptly, and without any excuses, even though 
you feel that your story is not so w^onderful as stories 
that you have read, begin at once. Every one re- 
spects a good sportsman who " plays the game." 
Read at ^Vhile vou are thinking about your o^^^l school 

^'"'" life, vou will enjoy reading in your leisure time Mary 

Antin's "The Promised Land." In it the author 
tells her own story, and her experiences as a little 
Russian girl in an American school are funny, pa- 
thetic, and thrilling by turns 

2 

ROUNDCHEEKS OR BaREBONES? 

Firulyour You may have hesitated yesterday to criticize 

prof^^'"' your friends, new and old, at their first appearance 

before vour class. That was all right for the first 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 7 

day, but ordinarily to fail to criticize is unkind — to 
the speaker. If he is to do better next time, he must 
know in what ways he has done well and in what ways 
he has failed this time. Unless you tell him, he must 
guess at this, and frequently he will guess poorly. 
In fairness to him you should reward his effort to en- 
tertain or instruct you with whatever praise it de- 
serves and with as much kindly mention of faults as 
seems likely to be helpful. How to judge the worth 
of a story so that you can censure or commend in a 
spirit of helpfulness is an important problem in the 
English class. All the factors which make a story 
excellent or faulty cannot be considered at once, but 
it is well to discuss a few important elements of good 
story -telling at the very outset of your work. 

You can make a beginning in this business of criti- R^^ 
cism by comparing the following account of one girl's 
introduction to school life with the stories told in 
your class. 

My First Visit to School 

I was most fortunate in my first visit to school. I had 
thought school must be a delightful place, because I had 
frequently been told that my father, who was a teacher, 
went to school to "get pennies." I got something even 
better. 

The teacher of the first grade which I visited is always 
very kind to the little ones who find themselves in strange 
surroundings. She took more than usual notice of me, 
because I was the only stranger that day and because 
both my father and my grandfather were her personal 
friends. She really treated me as well as she could have 
done if I had been the daughter of the president of the 



8 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

United States. The children, of course, caught the spirit 
and assisted in giving me a red letter day. 

All their boxes, blocks, mats, modeling clay, and books 
were mine to play with. The thing that attracted me 
most was a basket of wooden kindergarten beads. Some 
were cubes about half an inch in diameter; others were 
cylinders or spheres of about the same size. Most of them 
were just plain wood but there were also a good many 
highly colored ones — red, purple, green, blue, and yellow. 
I played with them half the morning. I laid them out in 
patterns on a desk. I sorted out piles of each color. I 
made long strings of variegated hue. Finally, when it 
was nearly time for me to go, the teacher overwhelmed me 
by saying that I might pick out the colored beads and take 
them home! 

Can you wonder that for two years I kept begging to go 
to school, until I was finally allowed to start a year earlier 
than my parents had intended.'^ 

Disniss Do you suppose she has told all that happened that 

day? Did she pay no attention at all to the reading, 
the counting, or the games in which the other children 
engaged.^ Was there nothing more she could have 
told about the teacher.'^ Why has she ignored all 
these things in her story.^ 

On the other hand has she told things that are not 
positively necessary — e.g., her expectations, the color 
and shape of the beads, her owti feeling about this 
day and about school.'^ Is the story clear.^ Is it in- 
teresting? Does it take you along with her to the 
first grade room? Can you see why it succeeded or 
fjiiled in this? How could it he improved? 

Is it better in any way than the stories told by your 
classmates? Can you think of any that were equally 
good and tell why you think them so? 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 9 

The following account of an older boy's visit to Read 
Sleepy Hollow is in at least one particular as good as " ^^ ^ 
that of the girl's school visit, but it is considerably 
poorer in some other respects. Try to find both its 
strength and its weaknesses. 

My Visit to Sleepy Hollow 

The pleasantest day of my last vacation was the one in 
which I tramped up the Hudson, and the pleasantest part 
of the day was my visit in the afternoon to Sleepy Hollow. 
Ft was about four o'clock on a warm but sultry August 

"ternoon when I entered the south gates of the Sleepy 
lIoIIow Cemetery. Pausing only long enough to notice 
that while a few of the tombstones bore dates of the 
'^.evolutionary War the majority were strictly modern, I 
at on in search of someone who would direct me to 
oieepy Hollow itself. I must have gone half a mile north 
through the cemetery — and I could see the stones glimmer 
in the distance fully a mile farther — before I came to a 
group of workmen. They answered my inquiries for 
Sleepy Hollow by saying it was toward my right — that is, 
east. I could see that the ground sloped down rapidly in 
that direction. I went on north to the next crossroad and 

arned down the hill. Five minutes' walk brought me to 
the bottom of the valley where a very simple bridge crossed 
a typical hill-country creek. 

At this dry time of the year the stream was compara- 
tively small, scarcely covering the bottom of the creek, and 
the sound of it as it splashed down in small waterfalls and 
gurgled around rocks in its path was decidedly refreshing. 
The western bank of the creek was occupied by the ceme- 
tery, with a very good crushed stone road leading along the 
" rink. The east bank is still native woods, very little 
thinned, although the roads built through it show that it 
too is soon to be used as a burying ground. 

I tried to imagine that this was the bridge near which 



Di. truss 
in clasi 



10 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Brom Bones had waited for Ichabod in Washington Irv- 
ine's story, but the excellent road, the perfect lawn, and 
the multitudinous tombstones destroyed the mipression ot 
solitude. Perhaps if I had been there twelve hours later 
I mic^ht have better realized Ichabod's sensations. 

iJ'aving the brook, I followed the road up through the 
woods and soon found myself in a country lane ^^^th woods 
upon either hand. Why I should have followed this I do 
not know, but curiosity led me on until finally I came upon 
a well-kept lawn entered by a large but simple gate. See- 
ing inside the usual sign warning against trespass, 1 
stepped in to see whose name ^^ r.s upon it, and discovered 
that I had stepped into the back of America's most mag- 
nificent estate-that of John D. Rockefeller, in Tarry- 
town. Even as I came out of Rockefeller's gate, I heard 
voices which sounded to me strangely Mrican; and surely 
enough, not fifty yards farther along on the other side o 
the road was a house inhabited by a negro farmer and 

his family. . - 

Just around the turn of the road I came upon the view of 
a meadow which, though not in Sleepy Hoi ow. be ter 
deserved the name. It occupied a small shallow \-alley 
completely surrounded by the wooded hills of the neighbor- 
ing great estates. One crop of hay had been cut and 
stacked in the field, and the mixed clover and tnnothy had 
again grown high. It seemed saturated with the bright 
«^,rm sunshine an<l <|uictness of the late afternoon. Ihe 
odors from the n.ca.low, the slight hum of the few bees and 
the other snudl insets about, an<l the view of t n.s meadow, 
surrounded and slieltercd, but not imprisoned, by woods, 
created a strong impression of peace and drowsiness. 

I .shall alwavs be dad to have seen the historic Sleepy 
Hollow, but (loMl>ly gla.l that my idle steps strayed on into 
tliis little valley even iiioic worthy of the name. 

Afl(>r class he lolil us llial he had walked ten miles 
up the Hudson past the magnificent estates; that he 



[Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 11 

had tried unsuccessfully to get into Sunnyside — 
Washington Irving's home; that he had trespassed 
upon the right of way of the New York Central in 
order to sit by the edge of the Hudson and gaze at the 
Zuyder Zee, as Washington Irving could do from his 
window. He might have told much more about the 
rather curious tombstones in the old colonial part of 
the cemetery, or the magnificent mausoleums and 
equally magnificent roads in the modern part. He 
ignored the weariness, the heat, and the thirst 
which he must have endured. On the other hand, 
he might have left out much that he did tell — e.g., 
the nature of the brook, his thoughts upon the bridge, 
the roads, the weather. 

How is this account of a visit to Sleepy Hollow 
good.f^ How could it be made better .^^ 

This next account of an unpleasant experience in Read 
a different locality is weak just where the Sleepy **^^^2/ 
Hollow narrative is strong. See whether you cannot 
suggest which changes should take place in it. 

Summer Study in Oklahoma 

' One summer when I was trying to make up some work 
in order to shorten my high school course I went for a 
visit to ia small town in Oklahoma. Down there it is very 
hot and very dry, and this made study very difficult. So 
far as I know there was no one else in the town who was 
interested in the things I was studying. I was very glad 
when that summer came to an end. 



Did this narrative "put you there" at all.^ What piscuss 
was the writer studying — do you know.^ Did you 



12 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

feel how hot and dry it was? How could he have 
made you do so? Do you know how he felt? How 
could he have brought this out clearly? 



Putting on Flesh 
Find your ^n order that vou mav see clearlv how to include 

'problem . ^ ^ 

the details necessary to make your narratives in- 
teresting, here are two very sketchy stories to be ex- 
panded by the insertion of details — one for the boys 
and one for the girls. Let each group choose a chair- 
man to direct its work and a secretary to write the 
improved story on the board as fast as it is con- 
structed by the group. While the boys' group is 
working the girls will listen without comment until 
the story has been completely revised. Then the 
girls may criticize the new version. After the boys' 
work has been discussed, the girls may expand their 
story and the boys act as critics. 

For the When I went over to tlie ])ark I did not expect to take 

^^^'^ part in the basc})all game; in fact, I was wearing my 

tennis clotlics and carrying a tennis racket. As I was 
ehgible for the team and my class was short one man, I 
aHowed myself to be persuaded to take one of the out- 
field positions. I made one error that day, but by good 
hick and extra effort redeemed it with a d()ui)le play im- 
mediately after. At bat I did better than I liad ever 
done before or liave ever done since; indeed, I did so 
well that I became a re^Milar member of the team. 

For the Supply the details which will put flesh and blood 

^^^^ upon this bare skeleton of a story: 



[Bookl] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 13 

The surprise on Mabel was a jolly success. We all 
laughed at her expression when she discovered that we 
were there. Then we gave her some ridiculous presents 
and had a great deal of fun with them. Then we sang 
some songs and played a few games which everyone seemed 
to enjoy. When the refreshments were being served we 
gave her the real birthday presents. After refreshments 
two of the girls gave readings and we made Mabel make 
us a speech. We were all sorry when our fathers and 
brothers came for us. 

After the readinsj and discussion of all these stories ^^^^y 

Till 1 together 

one point should stand out very clearly: to make 
a narrative effective the story-teller must use many 
details. To know this as a principle is worth while, 
for it will help you in your efforts to entertain your 
classmates this year. To have the habit of supplying 
such life-giving details is worth even more, for that 
will help you to be an interesting conversationalist, a 
popular public speaker, or a successful salesman. 
You will learn best if you keep in mind what you are 
trying to learn and why. Remember, then, that at- 
tention to details will help you in your undertakings 
in the English class, and quite as much in your affairs 
outside of school. 



A Story Circle 
One evening last summer at our Boy Scout camp Read 



we told stories as we sat in a circle about the smudge 
we had made to drive away the mosquitoes. Every 
boy had to take part in the entertainment. The 
order was determined by drawing numbers. The 



silently 



14 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

stories told by ^Yallace Thompson and Llewellyn 
Hayes, who happened to draw numbers one and two, 
went like this: 

Llewellyn's Story 

Once upon a time Colonel Ethan Allen, of Lisbon, 
Connecticut, went up to New York and he went to one 
of the best hotels and he went into the dining room and 
expected that some waiter would show him to a table, 
but no waiter came near him. So he waited a minute and 
then he walked up to the end of the room and went to the 
best table and took a chair that had been turned down by 
the waiter so that no one would take it and then a waiter 
came and he said that this seat was engaged, and the 
colonel asked for whom it was engaged and the waiter said 
for a gentleman and the colonel said, "He has come," 
and then he sat do^-n and waiter brought him his dinner 
and there was no more trouble. 

Wallace's Story 

In my reading the other day I happened to find an 
account of the only battle which Peter the Great of 
Russia ever lost. 

When he became the Czar of Russia he was a young man 
barely of age, nearly seven feet tall, with unusual health 
and strength of body, and a mind to match. However, 
he was not used to company and was very awkward with 
strangers. Russia at that time was a very backward 
nation, knowing nothing of ship building, and very little 
of any .sort of manufacture. Peter determined that his 
people should learn these arts, for he saw clearly that 
without them Ru.ssia would never be a prosperous and 
powerful nation. First he sent for men to come from the 
nations of Western Euroi)e to teach him and his people. 
Then he .sent .some of his subjects to study in Holland and 
England. Finally, he decided to go himself in order to 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 15 

learn as much as possible. Because of his lack of social 
polish he traveled in disguise, as an attendant in the train 
of his own ambassador to Holland. He went promptly to 
the small city of Zaandam, secured a costume of the 
sort worn by ship carpenters, and had himself engaged as 
a common laborer in the shipyard there. 

It was in this place that he met his Waterloo. One day 
after work he had bought a hatful of plums and was stroll- 
ing down the street eating them, when he met a crowd of 
boys. He gave some of them plums and then taunted the 
others because they had none. His dark face, his strange 
accent, and especially his huge size, for a time frightened 
those whom he tormented. When Peter persisted in his 
teasing, at last the "Dutch" of the boys rose and they be- 
gan to throw mud, and shortly stones. Forgetting his dis- 
guise, Peter began to scream, "I am the Czar of Russia! 
Stop that! I am the Czar of Russia." Either the boys 
did not understand his broken speech or did not believe 
him ; at any rate they continued to pour in stones and mud. 
Even a giant seven feet high could not chase all the boys 
at once, for they had wisely scattered in order to pelt him 
from every direction. By this time the excited young 
Czar spoke only in Russian, so that what he said was lost 
upon the boys. Finally, somewhat bruised and covered 
with mud, he retreated in search of the burgomaster and 
protection. In this way Russia's greatest statesman and 
general was humbled by a group of small boys. 

In the English class you may have this same form Find your 
of entertainment — a story circle. There is no re- ^^ ^^ 
striction upon your choice of story to tell, except such 
as your own common sense imposes. You will want 
to tell an interesting story, possibly a funny one. 
Try to tell something fresher and more worth while 
than the little squibs which appear in the comic 
columns of the newspapers and magazines. 



16 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Study Prepare your story by thinking out just what you 

will say. ^Mien you have rehearsed it in this silent 
w^ay, ask yourself whether or not you have included 
the most interesting details. Then practise telling it 
once more. 

AMien you are sure that you are well prepared, 
spend whatever study time is left reading this story 
from Longfellow^'s story circle, *'The Tales of the 
Wayside Inn." Every guest at the inn tells a tale 
to entertain the others and while away an autumn 
evening. This is the Sicilian's tale. You may have 
read it before, but it is worth re-reading because it 
is a very artistic little story from the standpoint of 
selection of details. 

The Bell of Atri^ 

At Atri in Abriizzo, a small town 

Of ancient Roman date, but scant renown, 

One of tliose little places that have run 

Half up the hill, beneath a blazing sun, 

And then sat down to rest, as if to say, 

*'I climb no farther upward, come what may," — 

There Giovanni, now unknown to fame, 

So many monarchs since have borne the name, 

Had a great bell hung in the market-place. 

Beneath a roof, projecting some small space 

By way of shelter from the sun and rain. 

Then he rode throu<ih the streets with all his train, 

And, with the blast of trumj)ets loud and long, 

Made proclamation, that whenever wrong 

Was done to any man, he should but ring 

The ^rcjil WA\ in the sciuare, nnd he, the King, 



' Hy ponnissioii of and special arrangement with Houghton, Mifflin 
Company, the authorized pul)li.shers. 



[Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 17 

Would cause the Syndic to decide thereon. 
Such was the proclamation of King John. 

How swift the happy days in Atri sped, 
What wrongs were righted, need not here be said. 
Suffice it that, as all things must decay, 
The hempen rope at length was worn away. 
Unravelled at the end, and, strand by strand, 
Loosened and wasted in the ringer's hand. 
Till one, who noted this in passing by. 
Mended the rope with braids of briony. 
So that the leaves and tendrils of the vine 
Hung like a votive garland at a shrine. 

By chance it happened that in Atri dwelt 
A knight, with spur on heel and sword in belt, 
Who loved to hunt the wild-boar in the woods. 
Who loved his falcons with their crimson hoods, 
Who loved his hounds and horses, and all sports 
And prodigalities of camps and courts; — 
Loved, or had loved them, for at last, grown old, 
His only passion was the love of gold. 
He sold his horses, sold his hawks and hounds, 
Rented his vineyards and his garden-grounds. 
Kept but one steed, his favorite steed of all, 
To starve and shiver in a naked stall. 
And day by day sat brooding in his chair. 
Devising plans how best to hoard and spare. 

At length he said: *' What is the use or need 
To keep at my own cost this lazy steed. 
Eating his head off in my stables here, " 
When rents are low and provender is dear? 
Let him go feed upon the public ways; 
I want him only for the holidays." 
So the old steed was turned into the heat 
Of the long, lonely, silent, shadeless street; 



18 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

And wandered in suburban lanes forlorn, 
Barked at by dogs, and torn by brier and thorn. 



One afternoon, as in that sultry clime 

It is the custom in the summer time, 

With bolted doors and window-shutters closed, 

The inhabitants of Atri slept or dozed; 

"\Mien suddenly upon their senses fell 

The loud alarm of the accusing bell I 

The Syndic started from his deep repose. 

Turned on his couch, and listened, and then rose 

And donned his robes, and with reluctant pace 

Went panting forth into the market-place. 

Where the great bell upon its cross-beam swung. 

Reiterating with persistent tongue. 

In half-articulate jargon, the old song: 

"Some one hath done a wrong, hath done a wrong!" 



But ere he reached the belfry's light arcade 
He saw, or thought he saw, beneath its shade, 
No shape of human form of woman born. 
But a poor steed dejected and forlorn. 
Who with uplifted head and eager eye 
Was tugging at the vines of briony. 
"Domeneddio!" cried the Syndic straight, 
"This is the Knight of Atri's steed of state! 
He calls for justice, being sore distressed. 
And pleads his cause as loudly as the l^est." 
Meanwhile from street and lane a noisy crowd 
Had rolled together like a summer cloud. 
And told the story of the wretched beast 
In five-and-twenty different ways at least. 
With nuich gesticulation and appeal 
To heathen gods, in their excessive zeal. 
The Kniglit was called and questioned; in re|)ly 
Did not confess the fact, did not deny; 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 19 

Treated the matter as a pleasant jest, 

And set at naught the Syndic and the rest, 

Maintaining, in an angry undertone. 

That he should do what pleased him with his own. 



And thereupon the Syndic gravely read 

The proclamation of the King; then said: 

"Pride goeth forth on horseback grand and gay, 

But cometh back on foot, and begs its way; 

Fame is the fragrance of heroic deeds. 

Of flowers of chivalry and not of weeds ! 

These are familiar proverbs; but I fear 

They never yet have reached your knightly ear. 

What fair renown, what honor, what repute 

Can come to you from starving this poor brute? 

He who serves well and speaks not, merits more 

Than they who clamor loudest at the door. 

Therefore the law decrees that as this steed 

Served you in youth, henceforth you shall take heed 

To comfort his old age, and to provide 

Shelter in stall, and food and field beside." 

The Knight withdrew abashed; the people all 
Led home the steed in triumph to his stall. 
The King heard and approved, and laughed in glee, 
And cried aloud: "Right well it please th me! 
Church-bells at best but ring us to the door; 
But go not in to mass; my bell doth more: 
It cometh into court and pleads the cause 
Of creatures dumb and unknown to the laws; 
And this shall make in every Christian clime. 
The Bell of Atri famous for all time." 

H. W. Longfellow: Tales of a Wayside Inn. 



In conducting your story circle, the pupils of one Tell your 
row may go to the front of the room together and ^ ^^^ 



20 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

form a semicircle, each pupil telling his story in turn. 

If time permits each row should have an opportunity 

to participate. 
Judge As soon as anv row has finished its part of the en- 

the stories ^^^^^^i^^^ient, the audience may offer helpful criticism 

upon its work. Be sure to praise where praise is due. 

Cite instances, if possible, where interesting details 

were used to make the stories more vivid and real. 



The Sentence Sense 
Discuss Of the two boys whose stories appear on pages 



n class 



14-15, Llewellyn is the more popular, and you can see 
that he had the kind of story more likely to please a 
group of thirteen-year-old boys. AVallace's story is 
too long for the purpose and quite bookish, yet it was 
better received by the crowd. Can you see why? 
^Yhat is the chief difference in the telling of the two. 
Make up your mind upon this question before reading 

further. 

Now revise Llewellyn's story by breaking it up 
into better sentences. How much should go into a 
sentence? Surely not just a certain number of words. 
Try to determine by a study of the sentences in AVal- 
lace's storv what a sentence is. Do any of ^Yallace's 
sentences tell more than one thing? Is the sentence 
about throwing stones wrong? And why should 
not the stH^ond following \i—FAthcr the hoys. . . • 
stones ami mml-hc two sentences? How are these 
sentences distinguishable from such endless, pointless 
masses of words as compose Llewellyn's original story? 



[Boohl] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 21 

Your study of the problem has now probably 
brought you to a conclusion something like this: A 
sentence is a group of words stating one complete 
thought. This thought may be composed of several 
smaller ones very closely related. 

Test this definition by applying it to the sentences 
on this page. What change will have to be made in 
the definition.^ A sentence always does one of three 
things; can you tell what they are.^ Try to formulate 
a satisfactory definition of a sentence and commit it 
to memory. 

Now return to your revision of Llewellyn's story. 
Tell what changes must be made in it if each sentence 
is to state one idea, ask one question, or give a com- 
mand. Compare the revised and original versions to 
see whether your changes really increase the effective- 
ness of the narrative. 



A Second Chance 

Now that you have had the matter of sentence Find your 
structure under consideration, you probably feel that ^^° ^^ 
you could improve upon the telling of your last story 
by a careful use of the complete sentence form. In- 
stead of repeating your previous story, however, 
choose some other anecdote that you have heard or 
read and plan to tell it for the enjoyment of the class. 

It will be well for you in preparing your story to- Study 
day to pay particular attention to the matter of 
clearly marked sentences. The best way to be sure 
that you will do this is (1) to make up your mind 



22 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

just what details you wish to inchide; ('2) make the 
first statement to yourself and stop; (3) without any 
and, or grunt, or icelL or so. make the next statement 
and stop, following ^-ith statement after statement 
until you have finished the entire account. If you 
find it very difficult to avoid the unnecessary con- 
nectives, you will do well to rehearse your story 
twice before the oral period. 

^Vhen your story is well prepared, spend whatever 
time is left reading the follo\s'ing anecdote. Note the 
careful choice of details to make the little story clear 
and interesting, and observe the clearly marked sen- 
tences that have been used. 

During a period of a little over thirty years, I have ap- 
peared in court as a witness about fifteen hundred times! 
The cases in which I was called have ranged from damage 
suits to murder trials. I was not personally concerned 
in any of them. Some of the cases originated, and were 
tried, hundreds of miles from where I live. Why. then, 
was I called as a witness? 

The explanation is this: For thirty-six years I have been 
officially connected with the Weather Bureau; and, next 
to medical testimony, the kind of evidence most fre- 
quently used in court trials is testimony in regard to the 
iceather. 

Records of rainfall are often introduced as e\'idence, 
and I remember one ratlier unusual case. 

During a heavy thunderstorm at night, a household was 
awakened by a burglar. As the man rushed out of one 
of the rooms, two members of the family saw him in the 
flaslies of lightning, and thought they recognized him as 
their coachman, who with his family lived over the stable 
at some distance from the house. The police, sununoned 
at once by telephone, were told that the coachman was 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 23 

the guilty person. They went out to the stable and ar- 
rested him, although the man claimed to have been asleep 
in bed, and his wife corroborated his statement. 

At the trial the prisoner was positively identified as the 
burglar by his employers. I was called to give evidence 
as to the heavy rainfall on the night in question. As I 
recall it, about an inch of rain fell during the hour of the 
storm, which was also the hour of the burglar's visit. 

This evidence was highly important, because the police 
ofiicers when they arrested the coachman searched his 
premises and examined his clothing. On cross-examina- 
tion at the trial, they admitted that all his clothing was 
dry, and that there was no trace of mud on his boots, 
which were even well polished. This fact, with the 
evidence about the storm, seemed conclusive, and the 
coachman was acquitted.^ 

Henry J. Cox 

Official Forecaster with the United States 

Weather Bureau at Chicago 

Before the story hour begins, every pupil may Tellymr 
draw a number, the pupil drawing number one to *^^^^* 
open the story- telling. When the first speaker has 
finished, he may call any number at random to indi- 
cate the next story-teller. The story-teller would 
better stand at the front of the room before the group 
unless the seats can be arranged so that everyone 
may be easily seen from his own place. 

In his inmost heart every story-teller wants to Judge the 
know what his audience thinks of his attempt. Tell *^^^*^* 
him frankly. If his effort was sincere, give him all 
the praise you honestly can; but tell him how to do 
better next time. Perhaps you will do this best if 
you ask yourself these questions about each story: 

^From the American Magazine, January, 1922, by permission. 



24 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

^Yas it interesting? Would more details have im- 
proved it? Was the effect weakened by stringy 
sentences? Be ready to cite specific instances if you 
wish to be truly helpful. Criticisms may be offered 
freely from the floor. 
Read ai Have you ever read the stories that Scheherazade 

told the Sultan? You will find them in The Arabian 
Nights Entertainments. The story of Cogia Hassan 
Alhabdal is particularly interesting. Twice he had 
two hundred pieces of gold given to him, but each time 
a strange misfortune overtook him before he could 
profit by the gift. Then he was given a piece of lead, 
and almost immediately he rose to wealth and power. 
You will enjoy reading this story. 



A Surprise 

Jifod If there is anything that most of us like to do, it is 

*^ ^ ^ to surprise somebody else. AVe willingly spend hours 
of planning and working and all our spare change for 
weeks in arranging surprises for mothers and sisters 
at Christmas. Even the laziest of us will work hard 
in preparation for a surprise party for some of our 
friends. We like to be surprised, too, so long as 
the thing which surprises us is not unpleasant in it- 
self. We are fond of recounting to our friends the 
thrill of certain surprises which we have had. 

SiTRPinsKD All Aijoixd 

I roinomhcr vory \\A\ a ((Thiiii Ilallowc'iMi ])arly to 
wliich I was invited. It was <(iv('n ])v niv class in school 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 25 

and at that time it was the custom for other classes to 
break up our parties if they could. As I was dressing that 
evening I heard the door-bell ring and foolishly went down 
to answer it myself. As I opened the door, a dozen boys 
from other classes rushed into the hallway, seized me hand 
and foot, and carried me out. They blindfolded me and 
carried me to various places, pretending they were going 
to the city reservoir to throw me in. It happened that I 
was so familiar with the ground as to know by the sound 
of their feet and the hills and valleys we passed just where 
we were going, and I knew that we were a long way from 
that reservoir. Finally, they took me into a deserted 
house, bound my hands and feet, set a chair over my head 
and went away. I was anxious to get to the party; so I 
struggled vigorously, and finally got one hand loose. Of 
course I made short work of it with the other hand. Then 
I went home, put on a girl's dress, and hastened to 
the party. By the time I reached the house of the host, 
my classmates had given me up for lost and I was so 
bundled up in girl's togs that most of them did not recog- 
nize me as I entered the door. They were more than a 
little surprised when I took off my hat and the merriment 
increased as I divested myself of the other feminine ap- 
parel and appeared in my own black suit. 

My kidnappers were equally surprised when I told them 
the next day of the lovely time I had had at the party. 

A story of a surprise would be a good thing with Find your 
which to entertain your friends in the class. Plan 
to give them as vivid an account as you can of 
some surprise. It may be one which you helped to 
spring upon somebody else, or one which you your- 
self experienced. Perhaps you will want to tell about 
a surprise party, about a present, or about an unex- 
pected bath. 

It will be best for you to prepare this account very study 



TcU your 
stories 



Judge the 
stories 



Read at 
home 



Head 
silently 



26 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

much as vou did the last one. choosing first the de- 
tails which vou wish to tell, and then rehearsing the 
storv to vourself, being careful to speak in sharply 
marked, rather simple sentences. Jot do^vTi on paper 
just the main point of your surprise and sign your 

name on the slip. . , , ,v ti, ,= 

If vou finish vour preparation before the others, 
stud^ these "surprise" words and phrases, using j-our 
dictionary if necessary. Can you add to the list, 
astonished amazed nonplussed taken unawares 

During this story hour you might enjoy having a 
class leader. Let the leader collect the slips of paper 
telling about the surprises but call only for those 
which he considers especially interesting. 

It will be well to test these stories as you did those in 
the storv circle (see p. 24). After each story the leader 
mav cail upon someone to express the class opinion 
concerning the interest of the story and the effective- 
ness of the telling. 

You will be interested to read in your leisure time 
at home Eastman's "The Singing Spirit rom Old 
Indian Day.. The braves were all prepared to meet 
death when they heard the singing spirit, but when 
they burst into the lonely cabin they received the 
surprise of their lives. 

8 
Anotiieu Stort Circle 
The storv-telling circle the other <lay was fun, 
wasn't it? Even if you did not enjoy telling your 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 27 

own story, you liked to listen to the others. I wonder 
what stories you told! Some clever sayings of the 
baby, some sharp remarks by "Miss Cutting" and 
some really good stories, probably. Did anybody tell 
this one.^ 

The Twistmouth Family 

There was once a family consisting of father, mother, 
and three children, of whom all but John, the oldest son, 
had mouths twisted in one way or another. When John 
grew to be a young man he was sent away to college. Upon 
his return for a vacation the family sat up until a late hour 
listening to his report of college life. When they finally 
wished to go to bed the mother asked the father to blow 
out the candle. Of course he said he would. But his 
mouth was twisted; so he blew up, and he could not blow 
it out. *' Well, mother," said he, "you will have to blow 
out the candle." 

"Very well," she said. But her mouth was twisted 
down, and so she too missed the flame. Then the mother 
called upon Mary, the daughter, to blow out the candle. 

"All right, mother," said Mary. 

"Go ahead then," said the mother, and Mary blew. But 
her mouth was twisted so that she blew out of the right 
side, and did not even make the candle flutter. 

The father then said to the younger boy, "Henry, blow 
out that candle, please." 

"Yes, I will," said Henry, and he blew. But his mouth 
was twisted so that he blew out of the left corner, and 
failed as had the others. Then the mother turned to John 
and said, "John, will you blow out the candle, please?" 

"Certainly," said John. 

His mother said, "Please do it, then," 

"Yes, I will," said John, and with a little puff he put 
out the candle, for his mouth was straight. 

Then the father said, "What a blessed thing it is to have 
an education!" 



28 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

The foolish conckision that it was John's college 
training which made him able to blow out the light 
is just like so much of the reasoning we do every day 
-jumving to the conclusion that since one thmg 
happens after another it is caused by that other. 
"The Twistmouth Family," then, presents an nn- 
portant idea, but not exactly a moral. 

Another story with a point which is not properly a 
moral is the fable of the "Lark and the Hunter - 
every mother thinks her own children are beautiful. 
Most of the fables-for example, "The Boy who 
Cried Wolf" and "The Ant and the Grasshopper — 
teach morals. 
Firul your When you repeat your story circle to-morrow, j ou 
problem ^^.j,, ,,^jj ^^ ^1,^ interest by enforcing these two rules. 
(1) No story which has been told before this group 
h s year is to be retold. (2) Each story is to pre- 
sent a worth-while idea, which may be a mora 
desired. As the choice of a story which will fill he 
tiuirements cannot be made hastily, think the 
matter over at home and decide what story >ou will 
use Time will be allowed in school for preparat.oii. 
It will help you to make your story clear and 
'"'' pointed if you .K..in your preparation by writing 
out iu a single sentence the chief idea of the 
storv Y<.u may not use this statement m telling 
your slorv but it will help you to select details that 
will give proper emphasis to the mam thought . Re- 
l„..rs,. vour story sentence by .sentence, and when you 
l,ave fini.shed, question youi-s.-lf about it to make sure 
U,„t von have brought out the pouit clearly. 

WhcMi >-ou feel that you are well prei)ared, try tins: 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 29 

Read the following story, and see if you can supply 
the missing proverb which expresses the point. 

A man was running to catch a train. As he neared the 
entrance to the station he thrust his hand into his pocket 
and drew out some money to pay for his ticket, so that 
he might lose no time. Just at that minute there came 
a gust of wind which tore a dollar bill from his fingers and 
carried it whirling down the street. The man looked 
after the bill angrily but he had no time for a chase, so 
with merely an exclamation of impatience he dashed into 
the station. 

Meanwhile the bill careened along unnoticed until it 
finally caught in a pile of dry leaves. A street-sweeper, 
brushing the crosswalk, saw it there and picked it up. He 
looked up and down the street but there was no one in 
sight who might have lost the bill. He concluded, there- 
fore, that he might accept it as a stray gift from Provi- 
dence. 

It happened that that particular day was his little boy's 
birthday, and the bill came to hand just at a fortunate 
moment to purchase a much-desired box of tools as a 
birthday present. 

At home that evening the sweeper told how he had found 
the money for the gift. The little boy's grandmother 
smiled at the story and said, " ." 

In the story circle to-day each story-teller may Tell your 
announce the title of his story and before proceeding 
any further call upon some member of the class to 
guess the point of the story. 

After the story has been told the class may decide {^9^J^^ 
whether or not its point was correctly guessed. If 
there is any difference of opinion upon this question, 
the teacher will call upon some pupil to state the 
point of the story in a single sentence. Then others 



stories 



30 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

will tell whether the story could have been made 
:1 plrig and effective by the addit.on of deta.l 
nr the sharper division of sentences. 
n.. . "ibo^t th'e year 1385 Geoffrey Chaucer^ the firs^ 
'"-^ of the great English poets, wrote the Canf.rOu^ 

Tales A group of pUgrims on their ^a> to the 
Jie of Thomas K Becket at Canterbury beg^ale 
the tediousness of their journey »;>• -^^ "^f/*;^^^ " 
You will be interested to ]om their stor> circle. 
You wii not be able to read the tales m the original, 
be^au^f the Enghsh of Chaucer is far djfferen from 
modern English, but you can P-^J'^ > "^^^f, 
the library a retold version such as Ha^^ey Darton s 
Tlu Tales of the Canterbury P,l<,rms A par icu 
la'ly interesting story is the Pardoner s ^ae of U 
three rovsterers who wanted to meet Death, ana 
tre toW that thev would find him in a certain grove 
:X a tree. The story tells what they found there 
and what happened to them. 



9 

A Fair Exchange 



Find you 
problem 



Since the beginning of this semester you have had 
a creat manv good stories told m your class, stories 
tvor 1 P ssing on to somebody else. The same thing 
sTrol ablv true in other classes which are doing the 
;L sort'of work. If so arrange -th hc.u o e 
change a group of the best ^t"--^' \ ^^^^/t^ 
managed by allowing each member of ah clas to 

write out the best of the stones he ha> >''''■•'•;;•. 
„„, U.inks that none of his stories are good lu nun. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 31 

by special permission of the teacher and the original 
narrator, write out one that someone else has told. 
If there does not happen to be any other section like 
yours in the school your teacher can probably ar- 
range through some acquaintance for an exchange 
with another school. If he cannot, you may write 
to the authors of this book in care of Doubleday, 
Page & Company for the name of a school which 
might be interested in such an exchange. 

In writing out your story you will come upon cer- Head 
tain problems which up to this time have not both- **^^ ^ 
ered you much. Your practice in speaking in single 
sentences will probably prevent you from running 
sentences together on paper. You will merely put 
periods at the places where you have been stopping and 
dropping your voice. Another very irritating fault, 
however, your oral practice has not guarded against. 
Examine the following story to see what it is. 

The Miller, His Son, and the Ass 

Once a miller and his son started to town with their ass, 
to buy some provisions. As they started out. The miller 
thought he would be good to his son, and so he told him to 
mount the ass. The miller trudged along at the side of 
the road. Soon they met some people. These people 
said that this was all wrong. "Selfish boy," they said, 
"to ride and make your old father walk." So the miller 
and his son changed places. Passers-by said, "Foolish old 
man, why don't you let the boy ride too ? " Then the miller 
told his son to get up behind. When they had ridden 
along some distance they met a third group. From whom 
they received this advice: "It is cruel for you to overload 
the poor ass so. The load is bigger than he; you could 



32 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 



Discuss 
in class 



Study 
together 



Practice 



carry him better than lie can carry you." At first, the 
miller and his son didn't know what to do, but finally they 
dismounted and tied the ass's feet together. And getting 
a stout pole swung him on their shoulders, and again 
started on their way. As they were crossing the bridge. 
People who saw them began to laugh so loudly that others 
came running to see. The ass was disgusted at this way 
of traveling, and the crowd scared him. Soon he kicked 
the rope from his feet and tumbled off the. bridge. Into the 
water where he drowned. So the miller and his son went 
home. Having pleased nobody and having lost their ass. 

If any one should try to read this aloud without 
first looking it through, what difficulties would he 
have.^ How w^ould you explain to the writer of the 
story what his mistake is? 

In order to punctuate properly, what two rules 
about sentences must you obey.^ AYrite these two 
out on the blackboard and learn them. Finally, go 
straight through this story about the miller and tell 
just where periods should be inserted or removed. 

How many of the following groups of words are 
real sentences.^ Correct the imj^erfect ones: 

1. Standing at the door waiting for you to come. 

2. Helen sat looking at the pictures in a magazine. 

3. When she will come no one knows. 

4. Wherever I learn there is an oil well. 

.5. Maybelle Hartley, who is the leading so])ran() in the 
Columbia Chorus. 

0. At IIk^ time when you first came into the firm of 
which you are now head. 

7. I'he president of the Veach Athletic Association and 
secretary of the McLauglilin Temiis Club, meeting by 
chance in Miami, where they were both spending the 
winter. 



[ Book 1 1 ENGLISH IN SERVICE 33 

8. Up to the 25th, but not later, we can accept your 
order for dehvery next month. 

9. Because it takes us five weeks after the order is re- 
ceived to do the engraving, press work and deUvering. 

10. How do you suppose he came to know my name "^ 

11. "No admittance," although it stared McKey in 
the face wherever he sought information. 

12. The prettiest of the three girls in this picture. 

13. Hurrying down the street just at dinner time yes- 
terday evening. 

14. When to sell the cattle he has fattened is frequently 
the farmer's most difficult problem. 

15. Dashing around the corner to reach my class on 
time, I almost upset Mr. Oliver, the most dignified teacher 
we have. 

16. How to tell stories effectively and make all your 
conversation entertaining. 

These additional sentences are to be used only by 
classes or individuals who need further drill : 



17. If you can come to-morrow morning. 

18. Where can he be.^^ 

19. Where there is a will. 

20. Been there a dozen times. 

21. Hoping you will answer soon. 

Your friend, 

Harvey Horner. 

22. At that time the mayor of our city. 

23. Were you at the concert last night .^^ 

24. Were I able to hear you. 

25. Wondering how it happened that Victoria was 

chosen. 

26. Our class president whom we all admire so much. 

27. The hardest problem that we have had this year. 



34 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

28. He did what he could to help us, 

29. All day long he served sodas to the thirsty 

crowd. 

30. Without time to take even a glass of water him- 

self. 

Discuss You will need to watch your sentences in writing 

^nca^s YQUY story for the budget. What other matters of 
form have you learned in previous years which you 
ought to observe carefully in writing this story to be 
sent to another class .'^ Discuss this subject with your 
classmates and make a list of the things which you 
think you ought to keep in mind either in writing or 
in revising your narrative. If this discussion of what 
you have learned in other classes takes a whole hour, 
the time w^ill be well spent. Take as much time as 
you need. 
Write your Write out your story, taking advantage of any 
stories suggestions which were offered when you told it in 
class. Say your sentences mentally as you write, 
and put the periods in as you go along. 
lirri.sryour Read your story over to see whether it has as much 
vigor and dash as when you told it in class. Pair off 
with a friend and read your story to him in a low^ tone, 
stopping and dropping your voice at — and only at — 
periods. He will then criticize the sentences just as 
he would those in an oral story. INIake any changes 
that are needed. Then let him read his story for you 
to criticize. Finally, make a neat copy to hand to 
your teacher. 

If you have any time to sj)are after writing your 
story, practise this sentence exercise. In the follow- 
ing paragraph not all the sentences are indicated 



stones 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 35 

correctly. Some of the groups of words are in reality 
two sentences; some are only parts of sentences. 
Copy the paragraph on the blackboard, restoring it 
to the correct form used in the original version. 

Thorhild, the stately grandmother, now began great 
preparations. Gudrid herself, quite changed into a house 
wife. Fell to work with a will. Carved chests were 
opened. And banners and beautiful stuffs were hung 
about the guest hall. The cushions from the high seats 
were beaten and placed opposite each other down the 
center of the long hall. Great drinking horns bound with 
silver and gold were put upon the tables the fresh fires of 
the guest hall sparkled and roared. Huge vats at the 
end of the tables brimmed with ale. And mead. Gudrid 
loaded trenchers with bread. And placed large bowls 
of curds upon the tables. Then she put on her scarlet 
dress bound her locks with a silver fillet. Covered her 
arms with bracelets, and so waited to receive her uncle, 
the hero Lief Eriksson. 

Adapted from L. L. Price : Wandering Heroes} 

Your teacher will read the papers and put a Judge 
pencil check mark in any place where he thinks ^ ^ *^^*^* 
you have failed to use sufficient detail, or have been 
careless about periods or any of the points of form 
you learned in lower grades. When the paper comes 
back make the changes needed and show to the 
teacher. When you have his approval erase the 
marks he made. 

Hand the perfected manuscript to the teacher or the Use your 
committee in charge, to be sent to the other class in 
exchange for theirs. 

^By permission of Silver Burdett and Company, 



stones 



36 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

10 

A Good Play 

FinJyour We agreed at the very first, you remember, that 
proUem ^.^^^ sliould talk 1)1 class about the same things that 
interest ^•ou out of school. One of your commonest 
topics wiien vou are left to yourselves is your play. 
■\Mien ^•ou are playing you talk about it: and when 
you haVe finished playing you still talk about it until 
some new occupation drives the old one out of your 
mind. Some of your play experiences stand out in 
your memorv because they were more than usually 
exciting-close games, games in which you beat 
older or better players, games in which disputes arose, 
times that vou played when you shouldn't have, 
plays that were unexpectedly interrupted or that 
vou repeated many times because you liked them so 
much. Anvthing from dolls or dominoes to football, 
anvthing from reading a book or a magazine to skat- 
ing or tennis, will bo of interest if told with real en- 
thusiasm. ... , i ij 
/),.«,.« Here are two stories which might have been told 
'" "''"' bv members of your class. Which would please the 



audience more? 



l.F..\RXINO TO RlOE 



I,ast suinnior I was down on the farm, and I nolo Gene 
let .ne have a pony to ride. I had never r.dden Wore and. 
of course, was very awkward. I was n..t afraid and was 
detorniined to learn to ride, so I had a lesson every day. 
At first niv unele had to help me. A tor a few days he let 
me ride al.in<- in the small pasture while he stood watclimi;. 



[Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 37 

I tumbled off once and almost fell two or three times. 
When I was allowed to go by myself I started the pony 
galloping, and of course got a spill. Now I can ride as 
well as anybody. 

Riding in a Circle 

About two years ago this summer I was on a farm in 
New York State. It was near the village of J — . The 
people we were staying with kept a boarding house as well 
as the farm. 

They had six horses: two buggy horses and four truck 
horses. I rode horseback on the smaller buggy horse. 
One day when I was horseback riding the dog (which be- 
longed to the lady with whom we were staying) began to 
snap and bark at the horse. This made him nervous so 
in order not to be thrown I steered him around in a circle. 
The dog sat in the middle looking at us, but before long he 
got so dizzy that he could not get up. I thought we 
could get away before he recovered but I was entirely mis- 
taken for when I pulled on the other rein the horse would 
not turn. We kept on in a circle until the hired man who 
happened to be in the yard came and took the dog away. 
I then stopped the horse. You may be sure I did not ride 
around the dog again. 

W^hich one of these stories made you see the action 
more clearly.? What means did its writer use to ac- 
complish this.? 

How well your classmates like your story will de- Study 
pend chiefly upon how fully you make them realize 
the incident which you found interesting. It will 
pay (1) to think over what you want to tell, (2) to 
tell it over to yourself, watching your sentences and 
fixing clearly in mind the details you wish to use, and 
(3) if possible, to tell it aloud to somebody to test its 
effect. 



38 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

You can afford to devote most of your narrative 
to the most interesting minute of the whole experi- 
ence you are describing, for only by so doing can you 
include enough of the details to make your audience 
really see and feel what happened. What is the im- 
portant part of the action in the story you have 
planned to tell? Fix upon as brief a time as you can, 
expand this part by the addition of details, and 
condense all the rest of the story as far as possible. 
Rehearse your story again, after you have revised 
your plan. 

If you finish your preparation and have time to 
spare, think out the plan for a short dramatization in 
which the characters shall be several boys and girls 
and the Spirit of Fair Play. You may represent 
your characters as about to take part in a contest, as 
disputing the result of a game just concluded, or 
merely as spectators at some great game. The 
Spirit of Fair Play should appear and take an appro- 
priate part in the conversation. 

Your teacher will reserve a few minutes at the close 
of the period to hear these plans presented and the 
best one will be accepted for dramatization on the 
following day. The pupil whose idea is adopted 
may choose members of the class to take the parts. 
The only preparation which will be necessary is an 
after-school conference of the participants to decide 
details of conversation. 
Tell ynur Probablv not every pupil will have an opportunity 
to tell his story during tin's period. It would be well 
to decide first liow s])eakers shall be chosen. The 
matter may be intrusted entirely to a chaifman, or 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 39 

each pupil may give the title of his story and the 
class may decide which it desires to hear. If there 
are members of the class who have had few oppor- 
tunities to speak in recent oral lessons your teacher 
will offer them the first chance today. 

After each story your teacher or chairman will Judge the 
ask those who consider the narrative excellent to 
stand, and will then call upon someone to give rea- 
sons for such an opinion. Those who think the 
work unsatisfactory or poor may offer comment in 
the same way. 

You will find much reference material in the Find out 
library about the Olympian Games of the Greeks. 
Who will volunteer to give an oral report for the 
class upon this interesting subject .^^ 

Some other member of the class may be willing to 
investigate the subject of Indian plays and games, 
or perhaps a committee will undertake to prepare a 
report upon this topic from library readings. 

11 

Better Speech 

Think how much school time and effort are devoted Discuss 
to English. The emphasis given it in school shows 
how important your teachers and the authorities 
who have charge of the schools think it is. Try to 
discover why they think so. Consider the value of 
good speech to the lawyer, the salesman, the ste- 
nographer, the club woman. Would you trust a 
physician who habitually said come for came, good 
for well, or gimme for give me? Why? Make a 



Read 
silenUy 



„ ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Boot 1 1 

ences between them. ^^ 

persuading others and the subject of f-o.abl 
Lnt among your -^"-"^'"^'^^ ;. . /.trl to speak 
correctly all tnt '^i"^^ nnnortant occa- 

Ir;.<,..o„llj to our diswl^nlW^ „. ., 

to speak as well as lkm> ^^^^^^ ^^ 

"T"*^' '""n . toh>tions about this same 

^^Wu you mMh ^oou Carelessness is so 

■■■r'v'X' »";;.: "Be.Ss,„...r,,,.,,o 

as you know how.'' 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 41 

What could a Better Speech Club do to keep up Discuss 
enthusiasm? Could it provide means for helping 
those who have bad habits of speech to overcome 
them? Would it be easier for any one person to 
avoid errors if he did not hear the wrong expressions 
used by his friends? Might the club help the com- 
munity and its members at the same time by a 
campaign for better speech outside, as well as inside, 
the school? Why could your teacher let you have 
time during the English hour for meetings of the club? 

Vote on the question of organizing a Better Decide 
Speech Club. If you decide to have it, elect a presi- idves^^' 
dent, a secretary, and two other pupils to act with 
the two officers and your teacher as a committee 
to suggest programs and other activities for the club. 

12 

An Incident from a Book I Am Reading 

Almost all of us like to read — good books. Our Find your 
great difficulty is to find books of the kind which we ^^^ ^^ 
call good. So whenever we see any one reading a book 
which we do not know, we are likely to ask whether 
he likes it and what kind of book it is. If you knew 
all the books other members of your class are reading 
just now, you could easily choose satisfactory stories 
for all the reading you will have time to do this win- 
ter. Your class may devote a day or even more to 
reports upon books if the pupils can decide what kind 
of reports would be profitable and possible. You • 
may report upon any book you have read recently, 
but it will be best to choose one you liked. 



42 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Discuss The easiest thing would be for each one to choose 

an incident typical of his book and retell that. If 
you are reading a humorous book, you would choose 
one of the funny incidents; if you are reading a story 
of adventure, you would retell one of the hero's 
narrow escapes; if you are reading a book of travels, 
you would describe some scene or the behavior of 
some strange people. Such samples would give a 
very fair impression of the nature of the books. If 
you wish to have a different sort of report and can 
get your classmates to agree, you may do it your 
way. You may take five or ten minutes of class 
time to decide the matter. 

Study If the typical incidents are chosen for report, be 

sure to tell yours fully enough to be fair to the author. 
Memorizing would do very well, except that it would 
probably make you talk with little expression; and 
memorizing is too much trouble, an^'^vay. A better 
way to prepare one's self is to read the incident several 
times, trying each time to imagine very clearly what 
happened. When the incident has become as real 
to you as if you had heard and seen what was said 
and done, just tell it as completely as you imagine it. 
If you practise it to yourself, so that your sentences 
are clean-cut and your words come readily, you will 
be able to give your author a square deal. 

If you finish before the others try this: Here is .1 
list of books which many boys and girls read before 
they reach the seventh grade. Check the list to sliow 
how many you have read. Then give yourself this 
two-sentence test in connection with every book on 
the list that vou know. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 43 

1. The chief characters in are 

{name of book) 

2. The story tells how 

{statement of chief incident) 



AUTHOR 

Alcott, Louisa May 

a a a 

Bennett, John . . . . 
Burnett, Frances Hodgson 
Defoe, Daniel .... 
Dodge, Mary Mapes . 

Ewing, Juliana Horatia 
Richards, Laura E. 

Sewell, Anna . . . . 

Swift, Jonathan 

Wyss, Johann . . . . 



BOOK 

Little Women 

Little Men 

Master Skylark 

Little Lord Fauntleroy 

Robinson Crusoe 

Hans Brinker or the Silver 

Skates 
Jan of the Windmill 
The Birds' Christmas Carol 
Captain January 
Black Beauty 
Gulliver's Travels 
The Swiss Family Robinson 



Every member of the class should have an oppor- Give ijour 
tunity to present his book report, even though this ^^^^^ 
necessitates taking another class period. Remember 
that your audience is really interested to know what 
sort of book yours is, and whether you think that 
they will like it. Give your report with enthusiasm, 
therefore, and be sure, incidentally, that you are 
making yourself heard easily by the pupils in the 
rear. 

After each speaker has finished, members of the 
class may ask him about anything that he has not 
made clear, or about any phase of the report as 
agreed upon which he has neglected. When all 
have finished, the class will decide after a brief dis- 



Judge the 
reports 



44 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 ] 

cussion who gave the most satisfactory account of 
his book. 

13 

A Guide to Reading 

Find your You hsteiied attentively to the book reports in 
problem ^j^^^ yesterday and probably thought you would like 
to read some of the stories mentioned. Now, how- 
ever, it is very hard to remember just which ones you 
thought likely to prove interesting, while exact titles 
and authors' names are entirely forgotten. If the 
stories told vesterday were all written out, with the 
authors, the^itles, and possibly even the library call 
numbers of the books from which they were taken, 
and these papers collected in a folder or notebook 
cover, you could glance at the collection in spare 
moments and make notes of books you wish to try. 
You contribute your narrative and your classmates 
will contribute theirs. Your teacher's part will be 
to see that the papers are properly fastened together 
and put within reach. 
Wnte Since you have already given this report orally, 

y^'' vou can now give most of your attention to the 

"'"'' 'correctness of your language. Do not neglect, how- 
ever, to improve the story itself if you can. 

It is almost always a good plan to write out a re- 
port first on pencil pap(M'. Be especially careful to 
make each sentence (•()lnplet(^ Krad to yourself 
what vou have written, listening to ll.e sentences to 
see wlielluT you have placed periods just where they 
belong. Wlien your paper is correct so far as you 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 45 

can see, copy it in ink on paper of a uniform size for 
binding with the work of the others. 

If you finish writing before the others, try this 
experiment. Much of your pleasure in reading de- 
pends upon how well you can read silently. Actual 
tests have shown that people who read at a high rate 
of speed usually understand better what they have 
read. Pupils of the seventh grade ought to be able to 
read at the rate of about two hundred fifty words 
per minute. Here is a fable containing nine hundred 
forty-two words. Time yourself in reading and see 
if your speed is up to standard. If so, you will be 
able to read the entire story in four minutes. You 
must, of course, be able to tell what the story means 
after one reading. 

The Gift 

Once upon a time there stood on the edge of a great 
plain a pretty little village. Only a handful of people 
lived in it, and these were mostly folk who tilled the soil, 
and kept cows and chickens, and carried on their daily 
toil under the blue sky. Through the village ran a stream 
which cascaded over a merry little waterfall, so that the 
people heard constantly the murmur of tumbling water. 
The children of the village roamed the common, and 
chased squirrels in the forest. They sailed toy boats 
through the rapids and built bonfires on the river bank. 
Wild flowers grew in the fields to be picked by eager 
fingers, and nuts fell in the woods for busy gatherers. 

Quite unknown to the inhabitants of the village, and 
the real source of the happiness which dwelt there, the 
region was the home of field fairies, and dryads, and water 
sprites. They laughed unheard with the children, and 
frolicked unseen over the meadows. No one suspected 



46 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

their presence, hut now and then a farmer looking up from 
his ploughing would say, "This is a good life to lead," or a 
woman hanging out her clothes would give a bright glance 
at the blue sky and the sparkling water, and feel that God 
had been very good to her children. 

One day, however, there came a Great INIan to the 
village. He looked at the waterfall, but not to admire its 
beauty. He glanced with a trained eye over the great 
meadow, but not to observe the games of the children. 
There seemed less merriment in the air after his coming, as 
if the unseen spirits of the place had warning of disaster. 

Presently on the common there began to be a host of 
workmen plying their tools, and piles of brick and stone, 
deposited there day by day, were shaped by busy hands 
into an immense structure, severe and harsh, cutting off 
the view of distant hills. Machines were put into place, 
and soon, instead of the sound of water gurgling over 
stones, were heard the hum and roar of the factory. Many 
people came to the village, and great tenements of brick 
were built, quite shutting out the sunlight and the fresh 
winds of heaven. The village had become a city. 

Now the fairies and dryads and sprites disliked these 
changes, and in anger at the desecration of their quiet, 
green places with noise and smoke, they laid a curse upon 
the place. One by one, they named the evils that should 
come upon the children of the city. One said, "They 
shall long for green places, for shining lakes and little 
trails, for the sea and the snow track, but instead of these, 
they shall pass all their days within stone walls." An- 
other said, "They shall desire adventure and romance, 
but instead they shall i)erform day after day the same un- 
ending task until monotony shall wear them out." A 
third cried, "When they sicken for lack of light and air, 
nothing shall ease the tedious bed of pain!" 

Now of all the fairies thus pouring forth their fury upon 
the city, only one stood apart, a glistening, radiant being 
whom the others cnllcd The Sj)irit. Her face was sad as 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 47 

she heard the words of wrath from the Hps of her com- 
panions, for well she knew that the toilers within the city 
must pay the full penalty for light and space and green 
grass and rippling water withdrawn from fairies and 
children; but she could not bear to have the weight of 
such a doom unrelieved by any gift of beauty or of joy. 
Suddenly she stepped forward, and all the fairies ceased 
their angry chatter and their imprecations. They stood 
in awe of The Spirit for they had seen her bring strange 
things to pass. 

Sadly she spoke. "Friends of tree and stream and 
meadow, truly must the evils you pronounce upon the city 
come to pass for disregard of green places and growing 
things, but to those who dwell therein, those who grieve 
with you over the loss of pleasant habitations, I give one 
gift in mercy. Let none gainsay this lightening of the 
burden. I bring to these saddened city dwellers the gift 
of the Printed Page ! " 

The fairies heard in silence these strange words, and 
looked in silence upon the shining face of The Spirit. 
They knew her power, but could not understand the 
mighty magic of her offering to man; nor did they linger 
long in that smoke-laden place to witness its effect. 

In the city, however, the gift of The Spirit soon began 
its potent, compensating work. When the young men 
longed for lake and trail, for sea and snow track, but must 
instead tread the stony ways of drudgery, within call of 
their leisure waited the Printed Page, and the beauty of 
far mountains and silent places was theirs. When the 
monotony of endless toil weighed on the spirits of the city- 
dwellers, romance and adventure thrilled them through 
the mystery of the Printed Page. When lack of fresh air 
and sunlight laid them upon beds of pain, the Printed 
Page transported them to distant countries and lands of 
pure delight. 

Indeed, so prized by the city folk was the gift of the 
Printed Page that they built beautiful temples to house it 



48- ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

and appointed guardians to care for it and ordered that 
their children be instructed in its use. The Spirit, hover- 
ing tenderly above the homes of those whose lives she had 
brightened, smiled with joy to see the mighty influence of 
her gift upon the lives of men. 

Judge the Your teaclier will look over vour book report be- 
fore you offer it for the folder on the table. Be sure 
to profit by any suggestions which he makes. 

After the folder has circulated among the pupils 
for a week or two a vote will be taken to decide 
which paper proved most pleasing to the class. 

mmT^' -^^ y^^ ^^^ ^^^ have time during the lesson to try 

the reading experiment suggested on the preceding 
pages, try it at home. If you find that your rate of 
silent reading is not up to standard, practise rapid 
reading at home. Don't let yourself read word by 
word. Try to take in a whole phrase or even a short 
sentence at a glance. See how many pages you 
can read understandingly in ^ve minutes. Keep a 
record of your reading rate by pages and see if by 
practising a little every day you can increase your 
speed. 

14 

When I Learned 

^/"wT"'^ I>earning to do new things is always so interesting 
that we usually want to tell others about our work. 
Fortunately, the ridiculous mistakes which we have 
made g(>nerally make our stories of interest to those 
who arc compelled to listen. Today you may make 
vour friends in class listen to vour account of how vou 



[ Book 1 1 ENGLISH IN SERVICE 49 

learned to do something — for example, to knit, row, 
skate, dance, drive, play golf, or sew. 

Tell your story over to yourself before the oral ^^^dy 
period. Be thoughtful enough for your involuntary 
audience to select the most interesting details. Em- 
phasize the difficulties, the mistakes, and the feelings 
that were part of your learning. Choose vivid de- 
scriptive words if you can, and tell the story with en- 
thusiasm. 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 
amuse yourself by reading the following account of 
how the Deacon built something new and different. 



The Deacon's Masterpiece^ 

OR 

The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay 
A logical story 

Have you heard of the wonderful one-hoss shay. 

That was built in such a logical way 

It ran a hundred years to a day, 

And then, of a sudden, it — ah, but stay, 

I'll tell you what happened without delay. 

Scaring the parson into fits, 

Frightening people out of their wits, — 

Have you ever heard of that, I say.^ 

Seventeen hundred and fifty -five. 
Georgius Secundus was then alive, — 
Snuffy old drone from the German hive, 



^Used by permission of and special arrangement with Houghton, Mif- 
flin Company, the authorized publishers. 



50 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

That was the year when Lisbon-town 
Saw the earth open and gulp her down, 
And Braddock's army was done so brown, 
Left without a scalp to its crown. 
It was on the terrible Earthquake-day 
That the Deacon finished the one-hoss shay. 

Now in building of chaises, I tell you what. 

There is always somewhere a weakest spot, — 

In hub, tire, felloe, in spring or thill. 

In panel, or crossbar, or floor, or sill. 

In screw, bolt, thoroughbrace, — lurking still, 

Find it somewhere you must and will, — 

Above or below, or within or without, — 

And that's the reason, beyond a doubt, 

A chaise breaks down, but doesn't wear out. 

But the Deacon swore (as Deacons do, 
"With an "I dew vum," or an "I tell yeou") 
He would build one shay to beat the taown 
'X' the keounty 'n' all the kentry raoun'; 
It should be so built that it couldn' break daown: 
— "Fur," said the Deacon, "'t's mighty plain 
That the weakes' place mus' stan' the strain: 
'N' the way t' fix it, uz I maintain, is only jest 
T' make that place uz strong uz the rest." 

So the Deacon inquired of the village folk 

Where he could find the strongest oak. 

That couldn't be s])lit nor bent nor broke, — 

That was for spokes and floor and sills; 

He sent for lancewood to make the thills; 

The crossbars were ash, from the straightest trees; 

The panels of white-wood that cuts like cheese, 

But lasts like iron for things like these; 

The hubs of logs from the "Settler's ellum," — 

I^ist of its timber, — thev couldn't sell 'em. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 51 

Never an axe had seen their chips, 
And the wedges flew from between their Hps, 
Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips; 
Step and prop-iron, bolt and screw. 
Spring, tire, axle, and linchpin too. 
Steel of the finest, bright and blue; 
Thoroughbrace bison-skin, thick and wide; 
Boot top, dasher, from tough old hide 
Found in the pit when the tanner died. 
That was the way he **put her through." — 
"There!" said the Deacon, *'naow she'll dew!" 



Do ! I tell you, I rather guess 

She was a wonder, and nothing less ! 

Colts grew horses, beards turned gray^ 

Deacon and deaconess dropped away. 

Children and grandchildren — where were they? 

But there stood the stout old one-hoss shay 

As fresh as on Lisbon-earthquake day! 

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED;— It came and found 
The Deacon's masterpiece strong and sound. 
Eighteen hundred increased by ten; — - 
"Hahnsum kerridge" they called it then. 
Eighteen hundred and twenty came; 
Running as usual; much the same. 
Thirty and forty at last arrive. 
And then came fifty and FIFTY-FIVE. 

Little of all we value here 

Wakes on the morn of its hundredth year 

Without both feeling and looking queer. 

In fact, there's nothing that keeps its youth, 

So far as I know, but a tree and truth. 

(This is a moral that runs at large;- 

Take it« You're welcome. No extra charge.) 



52 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 

FIRST OF NOVEMBER;— the Earthquake-day.— 

There are traces of age in the one-hoss shay, 
A general flavor of mild decay, 
But nothing local as one may say. 
There couldn't be, — for the Deacon's art 
Had made it so like in every part 
That there wasn't a chance for one to start. 
For the wheels were just as strong as the thills, 
And the floor was just as strong as the sills. 
And the panels just as strong as the floor, 
And the whippletree neither less nor more. 
And the back-crossbar as strong as the fore, 
And the spring and axle and hub encore. 
And yet, as a whole, it is past a doubt 
In another hour it will be worn out ! 

First of November, Fifty -five! 
This morning the parson takes a drive. 
Now, small boys, get out of the way ! 
Here comes the wonderful one-hoss shay, 
Drawn by a rat-tailed, ewe-necked bay. 
"Huddup!" said the parson. — Off went they. 

The parson was working his Sunday's text, — 

Had got to fifthly, and stopped perplexed 

At what the — IVIoses — was coming next. 

All at once the horse stood still, 

Close by the meet'n-house on the hill. 

— First a shiver, and then a thrill. 

Then something decidedly like a spill, — 

And the parson was sitting upon a rock. 

At half past nine by the meet'n-house clock, — 

Just the hour of the Eartlujuake shock! 

— What do you think the parson found, 

When lie got up and stared around? 

The poor old- chaise in a heap or mound. 

As if it had been to the mill and ground! 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 53 

You see, of course, if you're not a dunce, 
How it went to pieces all at once, — 
All at once and nothing first, — 
Just as bubbles do when they burst. 

End of the wonderful one-hoss shay. 
Logic is logic. That's all I say. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

If speakers are limited to two minutes everyone Tell your 
may have an opportunity to take part. The order *^^^* 
of speakers may be decided by drawing lots. 

When each narrator has finished tell him what was J^^ge the 
the most effective detail in his story. If his sentences 
are unusually good or too poor to pass without com- 
ment, offer favorable or unfavorable criticism upon 
them. 



CHAPTER II 

15 

Do Animals Reason? 

Find your Do animals reason? Certainly they perform 
pro em gome Very strange and seemingly intelligent acts. 
Your dog that did all those tricks and minded so 
well what you told him, the old horse that opened 
the gate — they must have reasoned. Yet animals 
are sometimes foolish, too. A dog's way of lying 
down and his barking at the moon are so stupid as 
to be interesting. What do you think about animal 
intelligence? The best way to show that you are 
right is to cite some bit of animal behavior which 
supports your belief. 

Before you prepare your "animal intelligence" 

story, study the next four pages . 

Read III the old English folk tale known as "Cap o' 

^ Rushes" a king asks his daughters how much they 

love him. Two of them answer with extravagant 

declarations of affection, but the youngest says, 

*'I love you as fresh meat loves salt." The king is 

so angry at this reply that he banishes the youngest 

daughter from his kingdom. 

' Years afterward, when under a new name she is 

to be married to the crown prince of another country, 

she has her father in\'ited to the wedding feast. She 

64 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 55 

gives orders to the cook to use no salt in preparing 
the food. "But the dinner will be spoiled!" wails 
the cook, who is intent upon pleasing his master and 
the guests. The princess, thinking only of bringing 
home to her father the real meaning of the answer 
which caused her banishment, shakes her head and 
repeats, "No salt!" The cook obeys. 

The bride's father is accustomed to excellent cook- 
ing. Finding the first meat set before him flat and 
insipid, he asks an attendant to take it away and 
bring him something else. But the next is no bet- 
ter, nor the next. When he has tried all the great 
variety of meats in the splendid feast and found 
them all alike, he realizes that it is lack of salt which 
has spoiled them. At last comes realization of the 
meaning of his daughter's reply years before, and the 
tears stream down his cheeks as he tells the story to 
those near him at the table. Of course, the daugh- 
ter reveals herself and the cook is allowed to bring 
in the properly seasoned dinner which he has secretly 
prepared. 

Thus the bride's end is secured by the omission of 
salt in the first serving, and the cook's by its judicious 
use in the second. 

Salt was necessary to the attainment of the cook's p 
ambition to please. But suppose he had insisted 
upon salting the dessert also. Salt in the ice cream, 
or in the custard ! Though his purpose to please was 
constant, he used or withheld the salt according to 
the particular kind of pleasure he was trying to give 
at the moment. 

Can you think of occasions when the artist needs 



ISCUSS 

111 class 



56 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

rose color, and of others when it would ruin his work? 
Of moments in orchestral music when the use of 
drums or cymbals is almost necessary, and of others 
at which it would be disastrous? 

Now apply the same principle to the choice of ideas 
to be included in any story, explanation, or argument. 
Try, before you read further, to make for yourself a 
statement of the proper way to choose details in 
writing or speaking. 
Work In an account of a dog's tricks attempting to show 

^^ ^ that animals do reason, which of these details should 
be included? What harm would the others do if 
they were put in? 

1. Hector was a big black dog. 

2. I was very fond of him. 

3. He looked intelligent. 

4. He had always been played with a great deal. 

5. He was ten years old. 

6. He did many things that seemed to require reason- 

ing. 

7. He was trained to hunt and had seen birds and 

rabbits shot. 

8. He did not like the sound of a gun. 

9. He had never been sent ui)on errands. 

10. While hunting with the dog my brother accidentally 

shot himself in the leg so that he could not walk. 

11. He tied a note around the dog's neck and told him 

to go home. 

12. The note was almost hidden by the long hair. 

13. The dog came straiglit liome. 

14. He was a fast runner. 

15. He barked for achnission to tlie house. 

16. I patted his head l)nt did not see the note. 

17. He tried to pull me outdoors, but I wouldn't go. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 57 

18. I asked him where my brother was and he grew 

much excited and pulled harder. 

19. Finally he began to scratch at his neck with one 

paw. 
20,, Then I found the note. 

21. It was very hard to read because my brother was 

too much hurt to write well. 

22. It was written on a leaf of an old notebook. 

23. As soon as I got my hat he ran to the door. 

24. He started straight toward my brother. 

25. He kept just a little ahead of me. 

26. By this time I was very much excited and began 

to run. 

27. When I stopped to look around he stopped just 

ahead of me and whined. 

28. When I went faster he barked and kept ahead. 

29. I found my brother unconscious. 

30. His wound was not dangerous except for the loss of 

blood. 

31. He was in bed two months. 

32. He called for the dog every day. 

33. He recovered completely. 

34. One of the neighbors gave the dog poison. 

35. I do not speak to that neighbor, even now. 

36. We never get tired of telling this story. 

Should the same details be used if the incident p^scuss 
were told as the narrative of a narrow escape.^ If 
the incident were retold by a lecturer on kindness to 
animals should the selection remain unchanged .^^ 

An officer of the "regulars," arguing for the neces- 
sity of keeping a standing army of considerable size, 
tells the story of the repulse of the Germans at 
Chateau Thierry by regiments of American regulars. 
Later he narrates the same incident at an Armistice 
Day celebration under the auspices of the American 



58 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Legion. On both occasions he is essentially truthful, 
yet his very different ends dictate the choice of 
"different details. 

Think of at least three other incidents and of vary- 
ing situations which might influence choice of de- 
tails bv different reporters. 

Give vour examples of the influence of purposes 
upon the choice of details in a narrative. Pass judg- 
ment upon the examples given by your classmates. 

State the principle by which details in wTitmg or 
speaking should be chosen. AVhen the class has 
agreed upon a good statement, copy it for niemorizmg 
before the next class meeting. 

Prepare for the class discussion of ammal mtelli- 
gence bv thinking out your story and rehearsing it to 
vourself (Bv the way, this rehearsal should be be- 
coming a habit by this time.) Select your details in 
accordance with the principle you have just worked 

out. 

^^■hen vour story is well prepared, you may u^e 
whatever* time you have left to read the following 
incidents which Ernest Thompson Seton tells of the 
crow "Silverspot." Do you think that the crow 
showed the power of reasoning? Be able to support 
your opinion. 

One day while watchinp. I saw a crow crossing the Don 
Valley with something white in his beak. He Aew to the 
mouth of the Rosedale Brook, then took ».f "■"t.fl'f * »" 
tlio Beaver Elm. There he dropped a white object, and 
looking about, gave me a chance to 7^-»P^>'-^ "•>; " ° 
friend Silverspot. .\fter a minute he p.cke.l up the «h.te 
thing-a shcll-an,l walked over past the sprmg. and 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 59 

here among the docks and skunk-cabbages, he unearthed 
a pile of shells and other white, shiny things. He spread 
them out in the sun, turned them over, lifted them one by- 
one in his beak, dropped them, nestled on them as though 
they were eggs, toyed with them and gloated over them 
like a miser. This was his hobby, his weakness. He could 
not have explained why he enjoyed them, any more than 
a boy can explain why he collects postage-stamps, or a 
girl why she prefers pearls to rubies; but his pleasure in 
them was very real, and after half an hour he covered 
them all, including the new one, with earth and leaves, 
and flew off. I went at once to the spot and examined the 
hoard; there was about a hatful in all, chiefly white 
pebbles, clam-shells, and some bits of tin, but there was 
also the handle of a china cup, which must have been the 
gem of the collection. That was the last time I saw them. 
Silver spot knew that I had found his treasures, and he 
removed them at once; where, I never knew. 



His quickness of wit was often shown. One day I saw 
him flying down the ravine with a large piece of bread 
in his bill. The stream below him was at this time being 
bricked over as a sewer. There was one part of two 
hundred yards quite finished, and, as he flew over the open 
water just above this, the bread fell from his bill, and was 
swept by the current out of sight into the tunnel. He 
flew down and peered vainly into the dark cavern; then, 
acting upon a happy thought, he flew to the down-stream 
end of the tunnel, and awaiting the re-appearance of the 
floating bread as it was swept onward by the current, he 
seized and bore it off in triumph.^ 

Ernest Thompson Seton: Wild Animals I Have Known. 

There will probably be a difference of opinion in Tell your 
the class as to animal intelligence. As many stories ^^^^^ 

^By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. 



60 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

should be told on each side of the question as time 
will permit. Your teacher will decide upon the order 
of speakers. 

Judge the In each case the listeners should test the story by 
standards like these : 

Content: Did the speaker use all the details 
which would have helped to interest and convince 
the audience.^ Did he use any that did not help? 

Expression: Were his sentences so clean cut as to 
be effective.^ 

At the end of the hour the class may decide by 
vote what view of the problem of animal intelligence 
has been most convincingly presented. 

Read at j£ yQ^ cujoy reading animal stories, these books 

will interest you. Find out how many of them can 
be obtained at the public library and draw them 
for circulation in the class. 

AUTHOR BOOK 

Bostock, F. R. ... The Training of JVild Animals 
Kipling, Rudyard . . TJic Jungle Book 

The Second Jungle Book 
London, Jack .... The Call of the iVild 

White Fang 
Lorin<i, J. A. ... African Adveniurc Stories 
Roberts, C. G. D. . . Kings in Exile 
Seton, E. T Lives of the Hunted 

Wild Animals I Have Knoion 

16 

Money and Human Nature 

Findymir "Easy moucy!*' Wliat does that expression 

problem »i " t» *• " .1 ■ -i ,1 . • 

mean.'' JVlonev that comes easilv, monev that is 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 61 

easily earned. The very word easy suggests that 
there is other money which does not come easily, 
money for which a great deal of hard work is given. 
Some people seem to think that a nickel is big pay 
for a half day's hard work by a child; others are 
more generous with children than with anyone else, 
handing out a quarter for a fifteen-minute errand. 

Your working experiences may have been of both 
kinds. Because they were interesting to you, you 
can make them interesting as you tell about them. 
They may be profitable, too, for they show very 
clearly how people think and feel. Prepare to give 
an account of some such experience which will be 
both interesting and instructive. 

Here are some things to think about while you Study 
are planning your story: Were the work and pay 
reasonably equal .^ Was the work pleasant? Did 
the person for whom I worked think so.^^ How did 
I feel when I got my money .^^ Why was it so much 
or so little .f^ Did I do my work well.f^ Did I find 
the work hard? How much did I expect? (Don't 
try to use these questions as an outline !) 

Will your purpose to instruct as well as entertain 
affect your selection of details? 

When your story is well prepared, use whatever 
time you have left in studying these "money" words. 
Some of these words have interesting histories which 
you can trace by looking up their derivations in the 
unabridged dictionary: 
^pecuniary 

Pecus is Latin for cattle. How did this word 
get its present meaning? 



62 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 



Tell your 
stones 



Judge the 
stories 



dollar 

What is the connection between our word and 
St. Joachim's dale or valley? 
finance bankrupt 

currency compensation 

Tell your story before the class. Try to speak 
directly and forcefully without being artificially 
dramatic. 

As you talk your classmates will doubtless be 
thinking chiefly about the ideas in your story— 
whether these are interesting and informing — but 
they will also notice especial excellences or defects in 
construction or delivery. After you have told your 
story call upon some classmate to criticize your work. 

17 



Work 
together 



Find your 
problem 



twenty or twenty- 
the good 



How Many? 

Would you use was or were, is or are in the following 
sentences? 

There .... five dollars in my bank. 

At that dinner last week there . 
one members of the club present. 

The best feature of my place at Kendall's. . 
meals they served at low prices. 

Ten cents. . . .enough for a httle thing hkc that. 

The high prices which I have to pay for clothing and 
groceries .... the cause of my failure to save money. 

You and I. . . .going to make real money out of this. 

Either he or his ))r()tlier to blame for the mistake 

but neither of them. . . willing to admit il. 

Hiese few sentences, no doubt, convince you that 
it is impossible to tell by the sound wlu^thcr to use is 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 63 

or are, was or were. There must be some definite 
principle by which to determine which one is to be 
used in any given sentence. This principle you may 
find out for yourself. 

In the first place, you ought to know that what ^"^ 
makes any form of language correct or incorrect is 
not a rule in some book, or even in all the books. 
What actually does determine whether the form is 
correct or not is the habitual speech and writing of 
those whom we call cultivated people, or, as some say, 
of the good writers and speakers. 

One would not speak English in Moscow, or in Rio 
de Janeiro, or in the Eiji Islands, simply because 
English is not the language of those places. To 
be understood by one's fellows, one must speak the 
language they speak. As a result, the forms of 
speech in any community become more or less 
standardized, each person trying to speak as much 
like his fellows as he can. Certain forms are agreed 
upon, not by formal action but by imitation and 
general consent. The forms thus adopted by the 
great majority of the users of a language are the ones 
we call correct. The rules of grammar are deter- 
mined in just the same way as are rules of etiquette: 
what the majority of cultivated people do is right. 

But this uniformity of language goes beyond the 
requirements of mere understandability. It becomes 
a matter of fashion. The more perfect the agreement 
of other people upon a certain form, the more neces- 
sary it is that we shall use that form and no other. 
The use of uncommon language forms is almost sure 
to turn the attention of the hearers from what one 



64 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

is saying to the peculiar way in whicli he says it. 
You and I find it to our advantage to speak as much 
Hke other people as we can. 

The way, then, to determine what is the correct 
form in any case is to find as many examples in the 
speech or writing of careful, cultured people as one 
can. Try this matter of is and are. Suppose you 
make two lists of sentences, putting in one column 
those in which is appears and in the other column 
those in which are appears. You will probably make 
your problem easier if you take simple sentences and 
put into either list only those sentences upon which 
all can agree. Here are half a dozen of each and 
you may add as many as you wish. 

IS ARE 

1. Tliis book is mine. 1. The boys are enthusiastic 

about the new captain. 

2. Your mother is very 2. Tlic shoes under my desk 

kind. are Henry's. 

8. The cake is vctv i^ood. 3. His fatl.er and mother 

arc very si range people. 
4. The mayor is my 4. You arcMio friend of mine. 

uncle. 
,5. Is this the right book? 5. Are the stores open to- 

(hiy? 
6. Every pupil in this G. All the pupils in this 
room is honest room are honorable. 

Now in what way are all the sentences in the first 
column like each other but different from all those 
in the second colunui.^ What is it that is true of all 
those in the second colunui, but true of none in the 
first? 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 65 

Here is a hint : Look for the word in each sentence 
that answers the question. What is? or What are? 
For example, in the first is sentence, Book is. These 
words which answer What is? or What are? we call 
the subjects of the sentences. The subject is the 
word which names the thing about which or of which 
the statement is made. Now compare the subjects 
in one group of sentences with those in the other? 
If any sentence has you as its subject put it aside for 
a time. In the others ask how many persons or 
things each subject stands for. 

Now you can state the principle: "W^e use is 

with subjects that represent " "We use are 

with subjects " 

But perhaps you have a sentence such as this, 
You are a big boy now, in which you evidently means 
only one person. Are is always used when the sub- 
ject is you because you originally was plural; that is, 
it meant more than one person. The singular thou 
has almost gone out of use now and you is used in its 
place. The rule, then, seems to be correct if we re- 
member that you is treated as if it were always plural. 

Test the rule by applying it to some of the simpler 
sentences in any textbooks that are at hand. Find 
the subjects — the words that answer What is? or 
What are? — and see whether is is always used with 
subjects that represent one person or thing. 

If you should try the same experiment with was 
and were you would find that the same rule holds 
good. Was is used with singular subjects and were 
with plural subjects. You may have noticed also 
that there is a form am still used with the subject /. 



66 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

This, however, you need not think much about, 
because you are sure to use it correctly; you need 
only be careful not to use aint as a contraction of 
am not. 

18 

Practice 

Find your By this time the importance of being able to 

problem pccognize the subject immediately should be clear 
to you. The rule that you have worked out is per- 
fectly useless unless j'ou can so identify the subject. 

Study Practice this recognition on the following sentences. 

together jj^ ^ f^^y q£ them the subjects are marked with s and 
is and are with v for verb. 

s V 

1. My grandfather is a very old man with white liair. 

V s 

2. Are you sure about the price? 

3. Harry's chief fault is laziness. 

4. The !x)()ks were on the window seat last night. 

5. Many of tlie pii])ils wore absent last work because of 

measles. 

6. This week i\wvv is no school. 

7. The windows in this room arc dirty. 

8. Is that picture j)rctty? 

9. There is no doubt about her ability. 

10. At that time there was only enough food lor the 

soldiers. 

11. There were only ten Ihousand men in tlie patriot 

army. 

12. In the ear, under the seat, there are two oranges. 
l.S. Tliere are ten cars in front of our house. 

11. Only one of the boys was late. 

l.K My brother and I arc Lrood tennis players. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 67 

16. The majority of girls are fond of candy. 

17. Isn't a dime enough for that Httle errand? 

18. No, twenty-five cents is not high pay for so long a 

walk on this cold day. 

19. At any rate, we are sure of a good dinner. 

20. In spite of all my reminders, you are still careless 

about dropping your g's. 

Copy these sentences filling in the verb is, are, study 
was, were. Then mark the subjects and verbs in "^^^ 
each sentence. 

1. There .... always twelve persons on a jury. 
2 there a doctor in the neighborhood .^^ 

3. Five boys. . . .crowded into the canoe. 

4. On the shelf. . . .a strange collection of scraps of old 

iron, bent nails, broken files, and rusty bolts. 

5. A few survivors .... still clinging to a tiny raft. 

Write a sentence in which is is the verb. 
Write a sentence in which were is the verb. 
Write a sentence with you as the subject. 

If you finish before the others, select from your his- 
tory or reader a sentence containing was or were. 
Write its words in a jumbled list upon the blackboard. 
At the close of the lesson your teacher will allow you 
to call upon a classmate to write the sentence on the 
board in its original form. You will have to be the 
judge of the correctness of his work because you know 
the original sentence. Here is an illustration: 



and 


were 


and 


Saul 


in their death 


and 



68 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

they pleasant 

divided Jonathan 

not in their hves 

were lovely 

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in 
their lives and in their death they were not divided." 

19 

A More Gexeral Rule 
Find your Now you liave a rule for is and are, but not every 

problem . p • i -tx-- 

sentence uses is or are tor its verb. >> ithout any 
further help you should be able to discover a similar 
simple rule for other ver])s which express action in 
the present time — e. g., do, docs; run, riuis; hare, has. 
Study Write sentences containin"' the verbs and group 

together . 

them as on page 64. For the ])re8ent omit any sen- 
tence which has / for its subject. How many groups 
of sentences? What difference between the verbs in 
these? AMuit difference between the subjects? 

Your conclusion is that with singular subjects 
(those that re})resent only one pers^)n or thing) we 

use the form of the verb ending in ; with i)lural 

subjtx?ts (those that represent more than one })erson 

or thing) we use the form of the verb Does this 

rule apply also to is, are and was, were? If it does, 
the one rule includes the otiier and is all you need to 
l(\irn. Have the best statement of this principle 
written on the l)oard and connnit it to memory. 

Now it is time to think about those sentences with 
/ for subjects. Their verbs are all of which form? 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 69 

They do not follow the rule, then. I takes the 
plural form of the verb. This may seem difficult 
to remember, but it will not trouble you much, for 
you are not likely to say, / comes to school everyday. 
If you find that you do make any such mistake, even 
once in a while, get your teacher to give you some 
drills to break it up, and watch yourself very closely 
until you are sure you have learned to say / come, 
I go, I throw, etc. 

Because in some languages there are more forms 
of the verbs than in English, many English grammars 
speak of six forms of our verbs. In the verb table 
printed below — usually called a conjugation or par- 
adigm — the "first person" is the person speaking or 
the group for which he is speaking. The only 
first person subjects are / and we. The "second 
person" is the person spoken to. The only second 
person subject in ordinary use is you. (The old 
solemn form thou is now rarely used.) The "third 
person" is the person or thing spoken of — that is, 
anyone except the speaker and the person or persons 
to whom he is speaking. 





Present Tense 






SINGULAR 


PLURAL 


1st person 
2nd " 
3rd " 


I am 

You are 

He, she, or it is 


We are 

You are 
They are 


1st " 
2nd ** 
3rd " 


I do 

You do 

He, she, or it does 


• We do 
You do 
They do 



70 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 J 

State your rule for the use of verb forms. The 
best form given will be written upon the blackboard. 

Compare the rule and the conjugation to decide 
\^hich is easier to understand and to use. You must 
fix one of them very firmly in mind. 

20 

Practice 

Study All these words which change their form to suit 

the subjects, we have been calling verbs. They are 
sometimes called "predicate verbs." The predicate 
is all the part of the sentence that is stated or asserted 
about the subject, and the verb is the word in the 
predicate that actually makes the statement. Such 
verbs as is and icas do nothing but state or assert; 
most other verbs — such as does^ think and took — 

j^Qj.]. also express action. 

U)gether Practise finding subjects and predicate verbs in 

the sentences below. 

1. The peoj)le of tliat town liavo always hccii j)rou(l 

of their streets. 
St. They have never l)ocn (Iran. 

3. Gertrude lias hccMi at scliool cvrry day tliis y(Mr. 

4. lias he l)een sick lately.^ 

5. Since the first of the year thcn^ lia\-c \)vv\\ many 

sales. 

6. Tlie engineer governs the ]oconi()(i\c with a small 

lever. 

7. \'()ung hoys frecjuently drive \\n\r cars recklessly. 

8. (iirls usually do (heir work more carefully than l)o\ s. 
0. John works at the drug store on Satunlay. 

10. The color of the hook makes no difFerence to me. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 71 

11. All the girls are eager for vacation. 

12. The last problem on the page is extremely hard. 

13. Arithmetic gives me all my trouble. 

14. Both my brothers like arithmetic very well. 

15. Geography is my favorite study. 

16. She and I ride home together almost every day. 

17. The pupils in this school are very proud of it. 

18. Are the verbs easy for you? 

19. Father gives me a quarter for every *'E" on my report 

card. 

20. That new hat of hers amuses me. 

Predicate verbs are frequently made up of more study 
than one word. This is almost always true in 
questions, part of the verb appearing before the 
subject and part after it. In emphatic statements 
and very frequently in statements with not we use 
do or does as part of the verb — e. g., He does work 
faithfully, I do not spend so much money now, and 
The color of the book does not make any difference to 
me. Such verbs as does work and do spend are fre- 
quently said to be in the emphatic form. 

Are waiting is another verb composed of two 
words. The forms consisting of is or are and the 
verb with ing added are called progressive, because 
they represent action as continuing or going on. 
They also are sometimes used in questions. 

21 

More Practice 

Now that you are fairly sure in your recognition pindym 
of the subjects and predicates, you are ready to ^^^^^^^ 
practise choosing the correct form of the verb. 



Work 


1. 


together 


2. 




3. 




4. 




5. 




6. 




7. 




8. 




0. 




10. 



72 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

In each of the following sentences some form of the 
verb in parentheses should appear where the paren- 
theses now stand. In every case the form without 
s has been inserted in the parentheses. In some of 
these sentences this is the form which should be used ; 
in others it is not. Find the subject of each sentence, 
note whether it represents one or more than one, 
and decide w^hich form of the verb should be used. 
Finally read each sentence aloud. 



The boys of our room (have) a debating club. 
Every member of the club (debate) once a month. 
George's uncle (pay) him fifty cents a week for 

starting the furnace in the morning. 
George (get) up early anyway to start his own fire. 
Henry and I (be) the best friends you have. 
The weakness in your plan (be) its higli cost. 
No good citizen (throw) a banana peeling upon the 

walk. 
Our j)arents (do) not know about tlic lioliday. 
Tliere (be) two hats in my locker. 
Your mother (do) not expect you liack before five 

o'clock. 

11. Just the same, there (be) several reasons for keeping 

still. 

12. (Be) the class colors green and white or i)ink and 

green ? 

13. This seat (have) never been comfortahle. 

14. (Have) there ever been seats for all the pupils? 

1,5. Two heads (be) better than one, even if one (be) 

a sheep's head. 
10. Our drug store (sell) ice cream; yours (do) not. 
17. (He) there any other mistakes on your paper? 
IH. His brother and my sister (go) to the same dancing 

school. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 73 

19. (Have) there ever been any more birds' nests in 

your box? 

20. Last night there (be) three parties in our block. 

If you have made many errors in this exercise, 
use these additional sentences also. 

21. The members of our class (plan) to attend the mati- 

nee Saturday. 

22. Mr. and Mrs. Whitley (entertain) company nearly 

every day. 

23. French, Spanish, and Italian (be) all modifications 

of Latin. 

24. Our family (spend) its summers at Waverly. 

25. There (come) my two sisters. 

26. At that time there (be) only Isabel and I at home. 

27. (Be) there more than two pupils absent yesterday .f^ 

28. He and I (deliver) papers every morning. 

29. John and Helen together (pay) his board. 

30. One hundred dollars (be) the lowest price I will 

consider. 

31. Ten cents (make) one dime. 

32. The stamps in his collection (be) worth a thousand 

dollars. 

33. Children's plans for vacation seldom (agree) with 

their parents'. 

34. Because of the large enrollment this fall, there (be) 

some pupils without any desks. 

35. No one (want) to buy a second-hand hat. 

36. The weight and quality of the paper (do) not fulfill 

the promises you made. 

37. (Be) Roy and his father together.^ 

38. So far as I know, there (be) no other people in 

Egypt. 

39. Both the class and the teacher (like) the language 

games. 

40. In the public square of the town (stand) the bronze 

statues given by Oswald. 



74 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 ] 

22 

One at a Tiime 
Study You may be in doubt about the number of the 

together . 

verb in such a sentence as this : Either of my brothers 
is able to do your work. At first you may be incHned 
to think that brothers is the subject, but further 
consideration will show that I am not asserting 
anything about both brothers at once, but about one 
brother at a time. If my brothers are Arthur and 
George, the sentence above is equivalent to this: 
Either Arthur or George is able to do your work. 
Here, although both Arthur and George are sub- 
jects of the verb isy their separation by the word 
or shows that we are thinking of them one at a time. 
With all such forms we use a singular verb. So 
we say, ''Every one of the pictures has been sold," 
but, ''All of the pictures hare been sold," because 
in the former sentence we think of the sale of each 
individual picture, whereas in the latter we think 
of all the pictures together. Some of the sentences 
which follow have subjects of this peculiar sort. 
Make up your mind which is the correct form in 
each case, and read the correct form of the sentence 
aloud. 

1. Each of tlic j)lay(.Ts (have) a diil'orcnt position as- 

signed lo liini. 

2. Neither of tlic stories (he) very funny. 

3. Not one of the l)ull)S (liavr) hlossonicd. 

1. One of the l)est cures for colds (l)e) just to stay in 
hed. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 75 

5. Everybody (call) him Uncle Gib. 

6. Both of the suits (fit) you very well. 

7. Neither of the suits (be) especially becoming. 

8. Many of the leading golf players (be) under twenty- 

one. 

9. (Have) either of his accusers any evidence worth 

considering? 

10. In this town there surely (be) a candy store some- 

where. 

11. (Be) there any more nominations for secretary? 

12. Every one of the fifty targets (have) a hole within 

an inch of the center. 

13. In playing basketball there (be) so many things to 

remember at once. 

14. In our room there (be) Howard, Mabel, Mildred 

Max, Ernest, Lucile, and Walter. 

If the exercises on this page have given you 
trouble, use the following for further practice: 

15. Neither Herbert nor Cicely (know) me. 

16. Every one of you (be) his own master. 

17. Either the boys or the girls (have) taken the wrong 

train. 

18. Not John but Helen (own) the Airedale pup. 

19. Philip, Arthur, or Edward always (bring) pickles 

for the whole crowd. 

20. Mabel, Dorothea, and Louise (take) turns in baking 

the cake. 

21. Surely each of us (know) his own mind. 

22. Not all of us (do) our best all the time. 

23. Perhaps there (be) either a plug or a leak in the 

feed pipe. 

24. (Be) either of them able to run a hundred yards 

in eleven seconds? 

25. Neither the bookworm nor the shirk (get) the most 

out of school. 



if you 

need it 



Read 



76 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

26. Boys and girls alike (enjoy) Tom Sawyer. 

27. (Have) either of you ever heard this story? 

28. Each of the boys (help) the others. 

Ash help After all this drill upon subjects and predicates 
and the choice between the different forms of the 
verbs, you should be able to decide in any sentence 
whether to use the s form of the verb or the other 
one. If there is anything about this which you do 
not understand, ask your teacher about it, and keep 
on asking, politely, until it is made clear to you. 

23 

Profitable Play 

Even when 3^011 are able to decide in any given 
silently sentence which of two forms should be used, you are 
likely to make mistakes in speech, merely through 
force of habit. You cannot stop every time to 
reason out which form to use in spoken sentences. 
The use of the correct form must be habitual, or 
automatic — that is, going off by itself. The only 
way to build a habit is by repetition; so you need 
to repeat singular subjects with singular verbs and 
plural subjects with i)lural verbs. Just to repeat 
subjects and predicates, however, is very uninter- 
esting and so unlike real talking that you are not 
likely to form the habit of using the verbs correctly. 
AVhat you want is some natural talk in which you 
need to repeat thes(» subjects and verbs many times. 
The best way to secure (his rc^jx'tition is to play 
a game, either the one below or a better one if you 
can devise it. You will notice that in everv state- 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 77 

ment of the questioner, and in every answer of the 
guesser there is an occasion for choosing between 
the s form of the verb and the other. It is not in- 
tended that you should give most of your thought to 
the verbs — you are to play the game and have as good 
a time as possible; but the rules of the game require 
that you use your verbs correctly. This game has 
a language value, aside from the fun and information 
it may also provide. 

A Riddle Contest 

The group will be divided either by the teacher Play the 
or by two captains into two equal opposing ^"^^ 
teams. The leader of the Reds will then decide 
upon one object which his opponents are to guess. 
He must then give some characteristic statement 
about what he has chosen; for example, "The 
people whom I have in mind never do any work," 
or, "The animal that I have in mind has a remark- 
ably long tongue," or, "The objects of which I am 
thinking are the hardest natural rocks to be found 
anywhere in the world." He must begin with 
"the person(s)" "the animal(s)," or "the object(s)," 
in order to give his opponents a better chance to 
guess what he is describing. The Blue opposite him 
will try to guess his riddle by saying, "The animal 
which is in your mind is a snake," or, "The objects 
which are in your mind are diamonds." If the 
first guess is wrong, the maker of the riddle scores 
a point. He must make another statement about 
the same object and the next member of the opposing 
team must guess. This goes on until the riddle has 



78 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

been correctly answered. It then becomes the turn 
of one of the Blues to propose the riddles. When 
the opportunity to propose the riddles returns to 
the Reds the answer is to be given by the first Blue 
who has not had a chance at the previous riddle. 
AYhenever any player uses a verb incorrectly his 
opponents score a point. The side which has the 
larger number of points at the end of the time w^hich 
can be devoted to the game wins. If it is found 
desirable to continue this drill from day to day, the 
score may also be carried forward, or each day's 
play may be considered as one game of a series and 
the side which wins the majority of the games the 
final winner. 

24 

For Want of a Shoe 

Read In 1871 the city of Chicago was swept by a very 

silently severe fire, perhaps at that time the largest which 
had occurred in the United States. At least two 
thirds of the city as it was then was burned down. 
Thousands of people were left without homes and 
millions of dollars' worth of property destroyed. 
The blame for all this is usually placed upon Mrs. 
O'Leary's cow, which is said to have kicked over a 
lam}) by the light of which Mrs. OTx^ary was milking. 
Doubtless the bhime really belongs to the woman 
who put off the milking until after dark, then used 
a lamp instead of a lantern, and finally was so care- 
less as to set it within reach of the cow's foot. 

There is another story of carelessness which runs 
like this. It may or may not be true. During 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 79 

the World War the British fleet in the North Seas 
was divided into two squadrons. On a foggy day 
the German fleet sHpped out from its base and at- 
tacked one of these squadrons. Of course, wireless 
calls for help were sent to the other squadron, but 
in some way the latitude and longitude of the 
squadron attacked were given incorrectly, with the 
result that Admiral Beatty steamed to the place 
where he had been told the battle was and then had 
to turn at right angles and go a considerable distance 
farther before he reached the scene of action. While 
he was thus sailing around two sides of a right triangle 
the German fleet inflicted some damage and fled. 

If Admiral Beatty had received the correct di- 
rections, so the story goes, he would have cut the 
German fleet off from its base and captured all or 
most of it. Such an outcome of the battle, which 
might have shortened the World War very consid- 
erably, was prevented by the difference of only a 
few dots and dashes of the wireless operator. 

In your own experience the results of carelessness Find your 
have probably never been so serious, but no doubt ^^° ^^ 
they have been evident. The slip of a figure in 
your arithmetic problems, or in the columns of your 
acquaintance, the bank clerk; the failure to lock the 
window or take the load out of a shot gun, or to make 
sure that the gas was turned entirely off; or even a 
thoughtless dropping of books while you played had 
results which were interesting and at the same time 
serious. Try to tell your story so as to bring out, 
without preaching, the tremendous effect of the small, 
careless act. 



80 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

study Prepare your story, keeping in mind the fact that 

you are trying to make it pointed. Select your de- 
tails accordingly. 

^Yhen your story is well prepared, read the fol- 
lowing "safety first" bulletin. Be prepared to ex- 
plain in a sentence or two the meaning of any one of 
its statements. 

Who Am I? 

I am more powerful than the combined armies of the 
world. 

I have destroyed more men than all the wars of the na- 
tions. 

I am more deadly than bullets, and I have wrecked 
more homes than the mightiest of siege guns. 

I steal, in the United States alone, over $300,000,000 
each year. 

I spare no one, and I find my victims among the rich 
and poor alike, the young and old, the strong and weak. 
Widows and orphans know me. 

I loom up to such i)roi)ortions tliat I cast my shadow 
over every field of labor, from the turning of the grind- 
stone to the moving of every railroad train. 

I massacre thousands upon thousands of wage ( arners 
in a year. 

I lurk in unseen places, and do most of my work silently. 
You are warned against me, but you heed not. 

T am relentless. 

I am everywhere, in tlu^ honH\ on the streets, in the 
factory, at railroad crossing's, and on the sea. 

I bring sickness, degradation and death, and yet f(^w 
seek to avoid me. 

I destroy, crush or maim; I give nothing, but take all. 

I am vour worst en(Mny. 

lamCARKLKSSNESS! 

Remedy— Practise SAFETY IIRST! 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 81 

For this exercise the class may organize as a M your 
"Safety First" Council with a chairman and secre- 
tary. The chairman will call upon as many speakers 
as the time will permit. The secretary will record 
the particular type of carelessness pointed out by 
each speaker. At the close of the meeting some 
" Safety First " DonHs might be drawn up and ratified 
by the class. 

Before any stories are told, a committee of three Judge the 
should be appointed to act as critics. The commit- 
tee may read its report upon the work of the various 
speakers at the close of the meeting. The following 
standard may be used in judging the stories: 

Content: Did the story make the point in- 
tended.^ Did it have all the details needed to present 
the point interestingly and movingly? Were suit- 
able details selected .^^ 

Expression: Did the sentence structure contrib- 
ute to, or take from, the success of the story? 

25 

A Difficulty Downed 

It still gives me satisfaction to think of an examination ^^^ 
I once took. Several of us who wished to make up a grade *^ ^" ^ 
had been studying arithmetic out of school. The first of 
September we took an examination to prove that we had 
made up the work and were ready to go on with the class 
above. When we got our questions we saw that the 
principal had put in several problems of a kind we had 
never seen before. They were to be solved by principles 
we had been studying, but they required new applications 



82 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

of those principles. The others all gave up by noon, 1 
think; but I asked permission to go on working until one 
o'clock, explaining that I thought I might do those prob- 
lems if I had time. The principal said I might work on. 
I worked as I had never worked at my lessons before, be- 
cause I was determined that my summer's study should 
not go for nothing. At one o'clock I had an answer for 
every problem and handed my paper in. You can imag- 
ine how anxiously I watched while the principal ran his 
eye over the paper and checked one problem after another. 
Several were right, but he came to one that was wrong 
and I almost gave up hope. When he finally finished 
checking the paper he told me that I had made eighty on 
the examination. I was so tired and hungry that my head 
ached, but the realization that I had passed made me 
the happiest boy in town. 



Find your What is the hardest thing you ever did — an errand, 
a lesson, some housework, building something.^ 
Weren't you proud of it.^ Didn't you talk about it a 
long time afterward whenever any one would listen.^ 
Your classmates cannot get away and nuist listen 
while you tell it again. Try to be kind to them by 
making it interesting. 

Siinlj As you prepare to do this ask yourself: What 

made it hard.^ Just what did I do.^ Of the things 
that I did, just which ones helped.^ How did I feel 
when I got tlirough.^ Very likely you will thiid<: of 
more details than your purpose requires, or your time 
will i)ermit you to use; you can afford to be really 
careful in making your selection among them. 

As you rehearse your story remember to speak in 
sentences and to make your \'crl)s agree with their sub- 
jects. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 83 

When your story is well prepared, use whatever 
time is left to read this poem. If any section of it ap- 
peals to you particularly, try to learn that part by 
heart. 

Work: A Song of Triumph^ 

Work! 

Thank God for the might of it. 

The ardor, the urge, the delight of it — 

Work that springs from the heart's desire. 

Setting the brain and the soul on fire — 

Oh, what is so good as the heat of it. 

And what is so glad as the beat of it. 

And what is so kind as the stern command. 

Challenging brain and heart and hand? 

Work! 

Thank God for the pride of it, 

For the beautiful, conquering tide of it, 

Sweeping the life on its furious flood, 

Thrilling the arteries, cleansing the blood. 

Mastering stupor and dull despair. 

Moving the dreamer to do and dare. 

Ah, what is so good as the urge of it, 

And what is so glad as the surge of it. 

And what is so strong as the summons deep. 

Rousing the torpid soul from sleep? 

Work! 

Thank God for the pace of it. 

For the terrible, keen, swift race of it; 

Fiery steeds in full control. 

Nostrils a-quiver to greet the goal. 

Speeding the energies faster, faster. 

Work, the Power that drives behind, 

Guiding the purposes, taming the mind, 

^By permission of the author and Dodd, Mead and Company. 



84 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 

Holding the runaway wishes back, 
Reining the will to one steady track, 
Triumphing over disaster. 
Oh, what is so good as the pain of it, 
And what is so great as the cruel goad. 
Forcing us on through the rugged road? 

Work! 

Thank God for the swing of it, 

For the clamoring, hammering ring of it, 

Passion of labor daily hurled 

On the mighty anvils of the world. 

Oh, what is so fierce as the flame of it? 

And what is so huge as the aim of it? 

Thundering on through dearth and doubt. 

Calling the plan of the Maker out. 

AYork, the Titan: Work, the friend. 

Shaping the earth to a glorious end. 

Draining the swamps and blasting the hills. 

Doing whatever the Spirit wills — 

Rending a continent apart. 

To answer a dream of the Master heart. 

Thank God for a world where none may shirk — 

Thank God for the sj)lendor of work! 

Angela Morgan. 



As everyone will not have time to tell a story in 
the class period, it may he advisable to have your 
teacher choose ten pupils who will take part. 

The chief question is how much the speaker made 
you sympathize with him in his difficulties and his 
triumphs. If he was not highly successful in this, 
why wasn't he? Did he neglect any of the advice 
given in connection with the study? 

Wliih' you are thinking and talking about dif- 
ficulties vou have overcc^me, read Helen Keller's 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 85 

amazing story of successful struggle, "The Story of 
My Life." If you will close your eyes, hold your 
hands over your ears, and imagine yourself cut off 
forever from sight and sound, you may realize some 
of the tremendous obstacles that lay before the 
child, and rejoice in all her triumphs and achieve- 
ments. 

26 

In Mother's Shoes — or Father's 

Keeping house without mother or keeping store Find your 
for father ! Not play house or play store but the real ^^^ ^^ 
thing! There are so many chances to make mis- 
takes — soda and baking powder look very much 
alike, and so do real and counterfeit money. So 
many unforeseen difficulties may arise — unexpected 
company for dinner or an urgent call for something 
one can't find. Something must have happened 
that day when mother left you to take care of your 
little brother and the minister called, or when father 
told you to paint the front steps. As we look back 
upon such experiences, we see fun in many things 
which seemed serious when they happened. Prepare 
to tell of the time when you had to bear a grown- 
up's responsibility. Of course, if you have never 
had an experience of this kind you may make one 

up. 

What was the situation? What elements in it study 
were essential and what ones unimportant .^^ How 
did you feel.^^ W^hat did you do.^^ How did it turn 
out? How do you feel now? These are all good 
things to think about in gathering your material. 



8G ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Do you wish to include all the details they bring to 
your mind? Is it best to say anything about your 
present feeling with regard to the incident? 

If you are ready before the others, read this story. 
It contains some irrelevant details which ought to 
have been omitted. See if you can discover these. 

Mother and the girls were extremely annoyed hy a 
leaking faucet in the kitchen. The water spattered every- 
thing within reach and the sound of its persistent drip, 
drip, drip wore upon mother's nerves. Two blocks away 
was a plumber who employed several apprentices. iNIother 
sent for him two or three times and each time he would 
promise to come, but day after day went by without his 
appearance. 

At last I said, "Mother, I believe that I can put a new 
washer on that faucet. I^et me try." 

"Better not, Warren," said mother. "Go once more 
to the plumber and trv to get him to come right back with 
you." 

I was so sure that I could mend the faucet, however, 
that I went up to the attic to find my uncle's old tool 
chest. My uncle was married now and living in Califor- 
nia, but he had left behind a collection of odd tools, wash- 
ers, screws, nails, and such thin<;s, which was a great 
delight to me. 

Armed with washers and a monkey-wrench, I set to work 
upon the faucet, but it never occurred to me that the 
water should be turned off before the faucet was un- 
screwed. The conseciuence was that as soon as I had 
loosened the spi<^ot the water ponred out with such force 
that it was impossible to insert the washer or put the faucet 
together again. My coat was drenched and it looked as if 
the kitchen would be flooded. After a few minutes of 
vainly tryin*^' to hold back the water with a cloth, while I 
worked at the faucet with one hand, \ ga\-e up the job and 
ran as fast as I could for the ])lunil)(T. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 87 

Before the narratives start take seven minutes for Play the 
another *' Riddle Contest." ^"^' 

In choosing speakers to-day, it will be well to alter- Tell your 
nate boys and girls to give variety to the kind of ex- 
periences related. As many may have an oppor- 
tunity to talk as your teacher thinks desirable. As 
the stories are told each pupil of the audience may 
single out one speaker whose work he will criticize at 
the close of the lesson. Remember that to criticize 
justly usually requires the taking of notes while the 
story is in progress. 

Time will be allowed at the close of the lesson so Judge the 
that you may write a brief note to the pupil whose *^^^* 
work you selected for criticism. Be sure to make 
your note kindly as well as helpful by commenting 
upon excellences as well as defects. Your teacher 
will allow you to pass your note to the person con- 
cerned, and perhaps will then arrange to have some 
of the notes read aloud. 

27 

Subject or Object.? 

In the quotation following who is speaking, and to Read 
whom.? ^^"^ 

Him wants his supper, him does. Wite away twick. 
Him's hungry, him is. 

Perhaps it is Arthur, aged an3^where from eighteen 
months to three years, talking to his mother or his 
nurse. Perhaps it is mother or nurse speaking to him 
in his own dialect. The quotation is instantly re- 
cognizable as "baby talk." The repetitions and the 



88 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ BooJc 1 ] 

mispronunciation of difficult consonants shov/ this, 
but not more unmistakably than does the use of him . 
You, of course, would use he in an}^ similar case; but 
do you know why? Unless you do know why, you 
may in using more complicated sentences not know 
which form to choose. 
Find your If you think that you can state clearly a complete 

'pro em ^^j^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ j^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ apply 

the rule quickly and certainly, ask your teacher to 
give you a test. If you succeed, you may be excused 
from the regular class work until the group reaches 
'* Parties by Proxy" on page 94. 

If you do not feel that you know, or if you fail to 
pass the test, the next thing is to work out the rule 
and apply it until you can instantly supply the cor- 
rect form in any ordinary sentence. 
^titdjt You may make a beginning in your work upon this 

problem by examining the subjects of sentences either 
in the stories and explanations in this book or in the ex- 
ercises upon subject and verb. Construct some sen- 
tences with hoy or man for the subject and then substi- 
tute him or hCy whichever seems correct. Which form, 
then, should be used as the subject of a sentence.^ 

There must be other parts of the sentence in which 
him should be used. Can you tell what they are.'^ 
Examine these sentences. Are they correct? 

I saw him at the party. 

Mr. Smith noininalod /////? for ])r(\si(l(Mit. 

(iovenior Stone defeated ////// at the election. 

I have met him several times. 

I do not like him at all. 

Can von describe ///'/// to me? 



together 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 89 

In these sentences what are the subjects? What 
are the predicate verbs? In all these cases him 
bears the same relation to the subjects and the 
predicate verbs. Can you discover what that rela- 
tion is? 

The object of a verb is the thing which the subject 
acts upon. Some people prefer to say the object 
is the "thing which receives the action of the verb." 
In all the examples just given the subject acts or 
acted. The verbs express these actions. The sub- 
jects act upon "him," the object. 

Evidently, then, he is the correct form to use as the 
subject of a verb, and him is the correct form to use 
as the object of a verb. He is called the nominative 
form, and him the objective or accusative. 

Does he always mean the same person, or even any 
person? (a) John Carter will help me out of my 
difficulty. He is a real friend, (b) Have you seen 
my father ? He was to meet me here ten minutes ago. 
(c) When I hold up a piece of bone before Rover he 
stands upon his hind legs and begs for it. In (a) he 
means John Carter, in (b) my father, and in (c) my 
dog Rover. It is used in each case to avoid awkward 
repetition of a name-word or noun. Since it takes 
the place of the noun we call it a pro-noun. A pro- 
noun is a word which stands for a noun. She and I 
also are pronouns. 

Many pronouns have, like he, him, different forms 
for nominative and accusative. Make as long a list 
of these as you can, setting down both forms of each. 

In each of the following sentences tell whether the Practice 
word to be inserted in the blank will be the subject 



90 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

or the object of the verb. Then fill the blank with 
as many correct pronouns as you can. 

1. Father sent. . . .to the post office for five dollars' 

worth of two-cent stamps. 

(Father sent us to the post office. Father sent me to the 

post office. Father sent him to the post office. Father 

sent her to the post office. Father sent them to the post 

office.) 

2 was very sorry to hear of your loss. 

3. I certainly saw. . . . down town yesterday. 
4 ... .did you see with me? 

o. The teacher praised ... .for the neatness of the paper. 
6. The members of the club elected. . . . ; ... .will have 
to serve. 

7 offered a prize for the best cartoon of the 

mayor. 

8. The mayor attacked. . . .violently for making fun 

of him. 

9. I have despised. . . .ever since your party. 

10. In my place. . . .would have done the same thing. 

11. The president has begged, and scolded, and threat- 

ened. . . ., l)ut it does no good. 

12. I photographed .... at the wheel of his car. 
13 has always been fond of history. 

14. I found. . . .unconscious away down in the pasture. 

15. Francesca invited .... to her party. 

If you need furtlier ])nictice in supplying subjects 
and objects, use the following sentences: 

U). If I liave my way, . . will betaken back into the club 

at once. 
17. Last week .... defenUvl Ca.stletown in baskethall 

43 to 10. 

IS. Ton days ago Ilendri.x had never seen 

19. Miss Hardy trusted .... entirely. 

20 should gi\e IVlor a \()tc of thanks. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 91 

21. At last the catcher found .... in the attic. 

22. You may have heard .... because .... made a 

great deal of noise. 

23. In spite of the bad weather .... had a perfect at- 

tendance record last month. 

24. Surely you will not pass .... without speaking. 

25. Did .... like the concert last night .^^ 

26. Don't blame .... for what you did yourself. 

27. Just then .... was surprised by a screech from the 

tree. 

28. Are .... and .... likely to be on the same train? 

29. Just as many believed .... as believed 

30. Neither .... nor .... can come to-morrow. 

28 

Another Name for the Same Thing 

Suppose that you should want to use he or him, Findyour 
not as the subject or the object, but following a verb 
which does not express action.^ You are looking for 
Simon Baner ? That man at the first desk is {he, him) . 
Does the definition just given (The object is the 
thing which the subject acts upon) show which form 
should be used.^^ Construct some sentences in which 
he or him follows such simple verbs as is, was, has heen^ 
had been, will he. Can you and your classmates agree 
as to which form is to be used in these sentences? 

In these sentences what is the relation between Study 
(1) the subject, (2) the verb, and (3) he or him ? Does 
he or him indicate the same person as the subject? 
Try to find a case in which it does not. While it refers 
to the same person, it causes you to think of him in a 
slightly different way. For instance, if you walk into 
an ofl&ce and say, *' I wish to see the manager," and the 



92 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

first man you address says, "I am he," the I and the 
he of this sentence both stand for the same person, 
yet they make you think of him in different ways. 
Words used as is he in the last sentence quoted are 
called predicate nominatives. A predicate nomina- 
tive tells what the subject is said to be. Predicate 
nominatives usually follow is, was, or some other form 
of the word he. The verb in these cases is little more 
than the "equals " sign ( = ) of arithmetic. Probably 
for this reason, we use the same form of the pronoun 
as predicate nominative and as subject. He is such a 
nominative form. Ilim, the objective form, would 
be out of place here. These sentences are right: 
That man at the first desk is he. Yes, it is I. It could 
not have been she that time. 
Practice In eacli of the following sentences tell whether the 

word to be inserted in the blank will be subject, ob- 
ject of the verb, or predicate nominative. Then fill 
the blank with as many correct pronouns as you can. 

1. Was it Harry who sent me this valentine.'^ It 

was 

2. The only people present were you and 

3. Do you think Harold and jNIildrcd could have been 

the ones wlio left this here? Certainly, it was 

4. It was. . . . who first made the suggestion.^ 

5. At that time it was. . . who was in eharge of the 

store. 
0. The collision threw. . . .fiftv fret. 



'In this .sentence the cxpre.s.sion vho made the first suggestion hns no 
efToct uj)()n the form of the i)ronoim. Wlictlicr the chiu.se Wfio made the 
first suggestion i.s really the subject or only a nuxlifier of the sul)ject it, 
matters little. It is generally aj^reed that Harry in (1) and the pronoun 
to he sup|)lie<i in (4) are predicate nominatives. Of course the nomina- 
tive forms are retjuired. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 93 

7. The conductor carried .... two stations too far. 

8. It will be you and. . . .who will have to take the 

blame. 

9. You can always believe. . . .for he always tells the 

truth. 

10. The lucky one is ... . who draws the highest num- 

ber. 

11. The winner of the game is. . . .who has the most 

points at the end. 

12. Morris says it was he who broke the window. 

Was it. ...? 

13 traveled together through the Garden of the 

Gods. 

14. Your remarks did not hurt. . . .very much. 

15. It was always. . . .who did the most work. 

If you need further practice in choosing appro- 
priate subjects, objects, and predicate nominatives, 
use the following : 

16. Rover knew .... a hundred yards away and barked 

his delight. 

17 had no excuse at all for being so tardy. 

18 shot mountain lions in the Rockies, and griz- 
zlies in the Sierras. 

19. Is it ... . whom you wish to see.^ 

20. It cannot have been .... who called you. 

21. Only upon written request from home can .... be 

excused. 

22. Yes, it was .... at last. 

23. I am .... whom you called. 

24. Of course, we were only teasing ..... 

25 won that cup in a tennis tournament last year. 

26. We shall always love .... because of that unselfish 

action. 

27. You will never find .... out of bed after ten o'clock. 

28. Unfortunately, .... cannot be 



94 


ENGLISH IX SERVICE 


[ Booh 1 ] 


29. 


I have never seen your chum. Is this . 
next you in the picture.^ 


. . . standing 


30. 


.... saw .... in the crowd but . . 
see 


. . did not 



29 

Parties by Proxy 

Find your You like to go to parties, but perhaps you never 
^^^ ^^ went to twenty parties in one hour. That is just 
what you can do during this period. The only con- 
dition is that you furnish one of the parties — that is, 
you will tell as clearly as you can about the most en- 
joyable party or picnic that you remember, and each 
of your friends in the class will do the same thing. 
^tudy As you prepare to tell your story, try to forget that 

you are in a schoolroom, and see the place and the 
people of your party as if you were looking at a mov- 
ing-picture screen. You will want to make your 
classmates hear what you heard and feel what you 
felt. Obviously this narrative must be full. Could 
it be too full.^ ^Vhat should be left out.^ When you 
have selected your details practice telling your story. 
Live, descriptive words will help to make a vivid im- 
pression upon your audience. 

AVhen your story is well j)rei)ared use whatever 
time is left to select three suitable words which would 
describe each of the following. Your teacher will 
have some of the lists written on the board and the 
words (li.scussed by the class before the narratives 
are presented. 

lunch weather ride games water 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 95 

If these stories prove interesting every pupil may Tell your 
have an opportunity to talk. You may draw lots *^^''*^* 
for your position on the program, or, if you wish, all 
who attended a certain party or went to a certain 
park may tell their stories in succession. 

A committee of three may be chosen to act as crit- Judge the 
ics, making notes upon each story as it is told. In 
passing judgment the committee will consider such 
points as choice of details, sentence structure, and 
diction. Any mistake in the use of verbs would, of 
course, be noted, as such an error would mar the pres- 
entation of a story. The committee might reserve 
all its criticisms until the end of the period and then 
present a complete report of their findings concerning 
the oral work of the class. The members of the class 
will indicate by a show of hands whose party they 
enjoyed most. Compare the result of this vote with 
the report of the committee of critics. 

30 

My Creation 

One Saturday last winter the snow was so deep and Read 
packed so readily that I decided to make a snow man in **^^"% 
the backyard. 

I didn't know much about building snow men. I 
dimly remembered having seen boys roll up big snow balls 
and pile them to build figures. I tried to do the same 
thing. The first big one I placed for the foundation very 
easily. I rolled up another nearly as large and started to 
lift it to put it on the first, but it wasn't packed firmly 
enough and broke into half a dozen pieces. I tried again 
with the same result. Then I gave up the big balls and 
built up the man's body of small pieces, which I pressed 



96 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

together as I put them on. Next I set a fairly large chunk 
on top for his head. Yet I did not have a snow man — only 
a rough irregular column of snow. ^Yith my hand as a 
chisel I carved out the features of the face, made a slender 
place for his neck, rounded off his shoulders, formed partly 
detached arms down his side. Sometimes I dug out more 
than I wished or found that there was not material enough 
to make nose or brows; so occasionally as I carved I 
stuck on a lump. Finally I put a couple of pecans in his 
eye sockets, a clothes-pin cigar in his mouth, and small 
lumps of coal where his coat buttons should be. When he 
was all finished the neighbors said my snow man was 
unusually lifelike. 

Find your You too havc piit up SHOW men, made mud pies, 

^^^ '^"^ built playhouses, rigged up a roller coaster or a 
telephone, or trimmed a hat. These things were 
interesting to you. They will interest others, if you 
will tell about your difficulties and your successes. 

Study As you prepare to tell your story be sure to put in 

details enough to make your hearers see just what you 
did and how you felt. ^Vould all the details which 
come to your mind be equally good for this purpose? 
Make a careful selection among them because you 
will be limited to two minutes in telling yoiu- story. 
Be sure to ])ra('tisc your story until you are satisfied 
with your prej)arati()n. 

If you have time before the story-telling begins, 
go to the blackboard and list three words that you 
can use to describe what you have made, and three 
words that will tell how you worked at it. Your 
classmates will be interested to see if you actually 
use these words when you are telling your story. 

storuT"^ Plan to havc everyone tell his story today. A 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 97 

timekeeper may be appointed, who will allow each 
speaker not more than two minutes. 

At the end of the lesson decide by written ballot J'^dge the 
which story was the best. Write on the ballot not 
only the name of the story you wish to commend 
but your reasons for thinking it excellent. After the 
vote has been counted your teacher will discuss with 
you the points of excellence recorded on the ballots. 

While you are thinking of various things that you ^^"^ "^ 
have made, it will be worth while to read how some of 
the great inventors of the world set about their work. 
Any of the following books that you can obtain in the 
library will afford you much interesting reading. 

Doubleday, R Stories of Inventors 

Baker, R. S The Boys' Book of Inventions 

Towle, G. M Heroes and Martyrs of Invention 

Holland, R. S Historic Inventions 

Darrow, F. L The Boys' Own Book of Great 

Inventions 
Maule, H. E.. . - The Boys' Book of New Inventions 

31 

The Rescue 

One boiling Saturday afternoon Michael O'Farrell, re- Read 
porter for the Jacksonville Daily Courier, sought refuge *^^^^% 
from the heat in the city's only park. As he lay in the 
thick shade of a beech tree by the little river that wanders 
through the park, he was startled by wild screams from 
the opposite shore. He sprang to his feet, and saw a 
frightened crowd of boys and girls and their chaperone 
("School teacher, of course," he thought) all looking at 
the water. Before O'Farrell could see who or what had 
fallen into the stream, a roughly dressed lad, slightly 



98 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

larger than any of those upon the bank, came out from 
the bushes behind the horror-stricken group, rushed past 
them to the water's edge, and leaped in. Even in the 
excitement the reporter heard the chaperone exclaim, 
"Roccol" Almost immediately a girl's blonde hair came 
up and was seized by the swimmer. With a dozen strong 
strokes he reached the bank, and in a moment he laid the 
unconscious girl on the grass at the lady's feet. 

Find Of course O'Farrell hurried across the foot bridge 

vwblem from whicli the girl had fallen, first to offer his serv- 
ices, and later to collect all the details of the story. 
Whom did he interview? What questions did he 
ask? What answer did he get? W^as the rescuer 
a stranger? Did the story end with the rescue? 
Write Put yoursclf in O'Farrell's place and write the 

story on Sunday evening for Monday morning's 
Courier. Revise your story with unusual care, for 
errors show up most distressingly in print. Do not 
sign your name, but mark your paper with an iden- 
tification number assigned you by your teacher. 

If there is time to spare after your story is com- 
pleted, read this account of the proper methods of 
resuscitation. As this information may prove use- 
ful to you in an emergency, see how much of the 
reading you can recall. Ask yourself questions about 
the process it explains, and if you find your ideas 
hazy, re-read the paragraphs. 

Artifical Breathing^ 

The best way to revive a person who has been under 
water and is apparently drowned, is to turn him right over 



'IJy permission of the i)Ml)li.shers,lI()Ugliton Mifflin Company 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 99 

upon his chest on the ground, or other level surface, turning 
the face to one side so that the nose and mouth will be clear 
of the ground. Then, kneeling astride of the legs place 
both hands on the small of the back and throw your weight 
forward, so as to press out the air in the lungs. Count 
three, then swing backward, lifting the hands, and allow 
the lungs to fill themselves with air for three seconds ; then 
again plunge forward and force the air out of the lungs, 
and again lift your weight and allow the air to flow in for 
three seconds. Keep up this swinging backward and for- 
ward about ten or twelve times a minute. This is the 
newest and by far the most effective way — in fact the 
only way — of keeping up artificial breathing. It is very, 
very seldom that any one can be revived after he has been 
under water for more than five minutes — indeed after 
three minutes — but this method will save all who can 
possibly be saved. 



Don't waste any time trying to pour the water out of 
the lungs. As a matter of fact there is very little there, 
in drowned people. Don't waste any time in undressing, 
or warming or rubbing the hands or feet to start the cir- 
culation. Get this pendulum pump going and the air 
blowing in and out of the lungs, and if there is any chance 
of saving life this will do it; then you can warm and 
dry and rub the patient at your leisure after he has begun 
to breathe. 

— ^WooDS Hutchinson: The Woods Hutchinson Health Series, Book 11. 



The pupils of each row from front to back J^^dge 
will now form a team in a story contest. If the stories 
teacher thinks it advisable they may read one an- 
other's papers and offer suggestions for improvement 
to be made before the papers are finally submitted 
for judgment. When all are ready, all the stories 



100 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

from the pupils in the front seats will be collected, 
and similarly all those from each of the other cross- 
wise rows. Each of these sets of papers will then be 
assigned to another crosswise row, each pupil of 
which will read them all and rank them (1, 2, 3, 
etc.). Each judge, as he reads, is to suppose him- 
self editor of a newspaper and to think of the manu- 
scripts as specimens submitted by applicants for 
the position of reporter. Stories that are not clear 
are worthless to an editor; stories that are not inter- 
esting are little better; stories that are badly written 
take much of the busy editor's time for correction. 
Each editor is to note briefly upon the paper he 
ranks first why he does so, and upon the one he 
ranks last why he does that. The lengthwise 
row having the lowest total sum of ranks wins the 
contest. 

32 

Who Was It.^ 

Play the The class is divided into two equal teams ranged 

opposite each other. The players are really matched 
against each other in pairs. The first player on 
Side A asks the first player on Side B, "Who was it 
that wrote the LegXMid of Slee])y Hollow.^" or "Who 
was it that first sailed around the world.^" or any 
similar historical question. The first player on Side 
B then answers, *'It was Washington Irving who did 
tli.it," or *'It was Fernando ^Eagellan who did that." 
li' the answxT is correct the questioner says, **Yes^ 
it was he fslie)," ;ni(l no score is recordiMl. If the 
answer is incorrect the (jiuvstioner says, " Xo, it 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 101 

was not he (she)," and a point is recorded for 
the questioner's side. If any player fails to use the 
proper form of the pronoun, he, she, or ihey, a point 
is recorded for his opponents.^ The first player on 
Side B then questions his opponent in the same way. 
After the answer has been given and the score re- 
corded, if there is any, a second player on Side A 
questions the second player on Side B and so on 
down the line. The side having the larger number of 
points at the end of ten minutes wins. 

33 

Tit-for-Tat 

The Big Five, as they called themselves, were part of Boys, read 
a Boy Scouts' camping party in the Wisconsin woods. **^e"% 
They were not so large physically, but called themselves 
the Big Five because, in their estimation at least, they 
were capable of starting more excitement than any other 
five boys or men in the camp. 

When the crowd went swimming in the afternoon 
Billy came out ahead of the other boys, declaring that he 
did not feel just right and that the water made him very 
much worse. Then while the others were around a bend 
he played the old joke of wetting their clothes and tying 
them into knots. After this he put on his clothes and 
kept out of sight until supper time. It is useless to de- 
scribe the fury of John, Howard, Martin, and Earl when 
they discovered what Billy had done. Of course they 
vowed vengeance. 

The only unusual thing about their procedure was the 
decision to keep perfectly mum about the trick that had 
been played so that Billy would not be sure they knew he 

^ "There is much incidental repetition of the past tense did. Errors in 
the use of it should be penalized if they occur. 



102 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

had done it. The torrent of abuse Billy expected at 
supper did not come, and he was greatly surprised when 
the evening passed without any reference to the tying of 
the clothes. 

The next morning, however, while 

Find j/our How did the boys punish Billy? ^Yhat did they 
^'^" ^'" say to him? Had they planned the punishment 

beforehand, or w^as it suggested by the circumstances? 

How did Billv take it? 



Tit-for-Tat 

Girl.s, read Wilhelmina Peters was unable to leave with the other 
irilcntly ^|j.|g f^j, i\^q\j. outing at Pine Farm, a small resort in the 
Adirondacks, just below AVest Point. The other girls 
had gone on the first of July but she could not start until 
the morning of the Fourth, when she was to go up the 
Hudson on the regular Bear Mountain boat and walk the 
five miles over to the resort. The other girls had planned 
a picnic and would all be away from the house when she 
would arrive; so Marie Throckmorton, who had been at 
Pine Farm for three sununers, gave her directions for 
finding the way from Bear Mountain landing. More- 
over, she told her that the only person likely to be at the 
resort in the middle of the afternoon on the Fourth of 
July would be a Swedish maid who was very deaf but who 
was likely to be angry if any one noticed her affliction. 
When Marie reached Pine Farm she carefully informed the 
maid that Wilhelmina Peters, who was to arrive on the af- 
ternoon of the Fourth of July, was very deaf. Then she 
told the other members of the vacation party what a rich 
joke she was j)hiying on ^^ illichnina and the maid. 

Find your Now wluit liappcHcd whcu t hcsc two people who 
proiAcm supposed oacli other to be deaf tried to carry on a 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 103 

conversation? When they discovered the trick 
Marie had played upon them what plan did they 
make to secure revenge? Did they succeed? 

Prepare to tell as vividly as possible the story of All study 
the revenge. Take time to image the details neces- 
sary to make the tale convincing. Tell the story to 
yourself in a very soft whisper, marking your sen- 
tence endings with especial care. 

When your story is well prepared, spend whatever For both 
time is left studying these words. Use the dictionary ^^f^^ "^ 
if necessary. As soon as you know their meanings 
choose five that could be used to complete sentence 
one and an equal number that could be used to com- 
plete sentence two. If there is time, write the 
sentences on the blackboard, showing the words 
chosen, and your teacher will allow a few minutes 
for the discussion of them before the stories are told. 



amusing 


embarrassing 


disconcerting 


entertaining 


humiliating 


clean 


mirthful 


painful 


playful 


confusing 


jolly 


pleasant 


mortifying 


lively 


merry 


distressing 


agreeable 


humorous 



(1) The right kind of fun is 



104 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 



/n\ 17 4.1 4- ) to someone else is the 

(2) i^un that proves/ i . , p ^ 

^ wrong knid or tun. 



Tell your 
stories 



Judge the 
stories 



Choose a leader for the boys and another for the 
girls. The leaders may have two or three minutes to 
consult individually with members in their groups 
in order that they may select as speakers those who 
have prepared the most interesting endings. Prob- 
ably not more than eight speakers will have time to 
present their stories. 

Each story told may be judged by the following 
standard, allowing one point for excellence in each 
particular: 

Content: Interesting details (1); Probability (1). 

Expression: Correct sentence structure (1); Suit- 
able choice of words (1). 

Delivery: Easily heard by the audience (1). 

It will be interesting to keep score and see whether 
the boys or the girls win more points. Perhaps it 
would be well to ask your teacher or a committee 
from another grade to judge the stories so that rat- 
ings may be impartially given. 



Read 
silently 



34 

The Land of Counterpane^ 

AVhen I was sick and lay a-hed, 
I had two j)ill()ws at my head, 



Hy iKTinission of Cliarlcs S<Til)n(T's Sons. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 105 

And all my toys beside me lay 
To keep me happy all the day. 

And sometimes for an hour or so 
I watched my leaden soldiers go, 
With different uniforms and drills, 
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills; 

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets 
All up and down among the sheets; 
Or brought my trees and houses out. 
And planted cities all about. 

I was the giant great and still 
That sits upon the pillow-hill. 
And sees before him, dale and plain. 
The pleasant land of counterpane.^ 

Robert Louis Stevenson: A Child's Garden of Verse. 



Stevenson has made his account interesting by Find your 
telling simply but quite exactly what he did and ^^^ ^^ 
thought. If you care to tell the experience this 
poem recalls for you, you can make the narrative 
interesting by telling exactly what you did and 
thought. 

In preparation for this story, recall some time Study 
when you were ill and had to stay in bed. Close your 
eyes for a few seconds and try actually to see your- 
self as you were then, and to see the people or the ob- 
jects that amused you. When you see clearly the 
incident which you mean to tell, practise your story 
silently. Can you use any of the following words to 
advantage, or can you think of more suitable ones.^^ 

^Some people say "bedspread" instead of "counterpane." 



106 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 \ 

tedious restless uneasy 

dull comforting cheerful 

When your story is well prepared, use whatever 
time is left to read this poem. Can you explain its 
title? If you have read "Treasure Island" can you 
recall any of its stirring incidents? Why does the 
tale help the sick boy to forget his troubles? 

Saint R. L. S.^ 

Sultry and brazen was the August day 
When Sister Stanislaus came to see 
The little boy with the tuberculous knee. 

And as she thought to find him, so he lay; 
Still staring, through the dizzy waves of heat 
At the tall tenement across the street. 

But did he see that dreary picture? Nay, 
In his mind's eye a sunlit harbor showed 
Where a tall pirate ship at anchor rode. 

Yes, he was full ten thousand miles away. 
The Sister, when she turned his pillow over. 
Kissed "Treasure Island" on its well worn cover. 

Sar.\h N. Clegiiorx, in the Atlantic Monthly. 

Tell your Thcsc storics will probably be short, so that each 
member of the class may have a minute or two to 
tell his experience. It would be well to have a chart- 
keeper recording on the blackboard the words and 
phrases worth rcmcmlxTing from the stories in order 
that these may be recorded later in a permanent class 

'Hy iKTmission of the Atlantic Mnntlily Press. 



atones 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 107 

vocabulary book. Surely everyone will have at 
least one interesting new word or phrase to his credit. 

Since everyone is taking part today, your teacher Judge \ 
will act as critic of your work and at the close of the 
period will discuss the merits and demerits of the 
various stories presented. 



35 

Who Has It.? 

The class is divided into two equal sides, to be Play the 
named A and B. Side A sends one player from the ^"^^ 
room. While he is absent Side B chooses one of its 
members to take charge of the "treasure," repre- 
sented by an orange, or a knife, or any convenient 
object. The player from Side A, returning, has 
three guesses as to who has the object. He says, for 
example, "It is Charles who has the knife (or 
whatever it may be)." If the guess is right, the 
members of Side B must answer in chorus, "Yes, 
it is he;" if wrong, "No, it is not he." If the player 
guesses correctly the first time, his side scores five 
points; if the second time, three points; if the third 
time, one point. If his question is not answered by 
a majority of the other side or if any of his oppo- 
nents answer in any other than the prescribed form 
he also gets a point. When the first player has 
either made a successful guess or used up his op- 
portunities, Side B sends a player from the room 
and the game proceeds as before. The side having 
the larger number of points at the end of ten minutes 
wins. 



108 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

36 

I Told You So 

Find your "There! I told you that's how it would be, but you 
problem boys are so smart you always know it all. We are in a 
pretty fix now!" 

Who is talking? Who is the person addressed? 
How did it happen? Is this the end of the story? 

Let the boys prepare to entertain the girls to-day 
by constructing a conversation embodying the sen- 
tences given above. The sentences may come either 
in the beginning, middle, or end, as you choose. 
Study The boys will have to confer quietly as to their 

plans and each boy arrange with the others what he 
is to say. 

Wliile the boys are getting ready the girls may read 
silently any interesting story which the teacher can 
provide or which has been brought from home for 
use during this period. At the close of the class 
period, the girls may report briefly upon what 
they have read. 
Trii your '[\^y boys may present their story as an actual con- 
versation, taking any position in the front of the room 
that the circumstances demand. 
Judf/c (he A committee of girls may act as judges, considering 
the conversation only from the point of view of in- 
terest and suitable choice of words. 

To-morrow the girls may change places with the 
boys and carry out the conversation. 



CHAPTER III 

37 

Writing for Fun 

Most adults say that after they leave school they Read 
write little except letters. The business man must ^^^^^ ^ 
write letters to buy and sell his goods and to carry on 
the other parts of his business, and all of us write 
letters to our friends because we want to know what 
they are doing and how they are getting along. We 
enjoy writing letters because it is our way of talking 
to people who are at a distance from us. 

The writing of notes in school time, which your Find your 
teacher has probably forbidden, comes from this same 
desire to communicate where speech is not possible. 
Tomorrow during the English hour, you may write a 
a note, more than one if you have time, to some 
member of your class. If you think it will make 
more fun you may pretend that he has been sick or 
absent for some reason during the last week. You 
need not pretend if you don't care to. Say the things 
to him that you think he will enjoy reading. The 
only requirements are that you do not say anything 
unpleasant about any one and that you write your 
note in good form, with the proper letter heading and 
as correct in spelling and grammar as you know how 
to make it. 

I Booh 1 ] 109 



'problem 



110 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Before you come to class, please choose the person 
to whom you will write first, and get his consent. He 
is not to accept more than one note, and he is not to 
write to the person who writes to him. Your teacher 
will determine what restrictions there shall be upon 
second notes, if you find time to write them. 
Study YoY your convenience a sample letter form is 

presented here. This form is only for quite familiar 
and informal correspondence. Note how the place 
and time at which the letter was written appear. 
What punctuation is used.^ How is the name of 
the person to whom the letter is going written? Find 
the topic of each paragraph. In the close and signa- 
ture notice the arrangement, capitals (which words?), 
and punctuation. 






^.^oAjL. JLixiy ^^^yv^.0^ „cc^ :^Ae^ ^^^>va^^^>aJt/ /2^*.6<jt^ 



[Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 111 

/yxjtAA^ >^s>^ U^A^ jQjciy^f<y ^^^^ '^y*^'^''*-^^ '^'^^^ 
Uruy di^fJU, aJu/tCu^ yt^A.(tt^ ^<Ut/ :tAjLJtu>Aet 

One/cle^ 3cui/t^ yC^^^c^ ot^^c^ ^^ I^^auv .^^^^t/lu^oZi^ 

X^yOZ' X^ yU^-9-Vc/^ ^SCj t^ yAzLt^ .^J&ty u^&y^ 
00- /yyuoA^ yoy ta^-^ £<ly>ynf> . <^ y(yO<U^ ^-t/tyz/i 

.^TV/C^ ylZ<y y'T'UAzt^ yCL4y y^^yLd-^^ >£ ytA^^f-^LC^ rytJ'^ 
JlXtyO/ .y^<.£yyLy lyU-ntyyxtiyyx^ ^TT-i^ ^&iy ^Oy Jryt^/^^ynJl^, 
^M-f/o^ ..^tyr-yyx/ yCfL&-iiuc d-^c^ jQ^yjeA^Oc-a^^^ 'tAxi^ 

Ji/yyy^ AAyyiXc£ drj^te^ ,^?z:^^ y^ct^i.^ ^u^^-^A^ u^-^.^'^t^ 

JLt> yU-^^ yUy<3//tAayt Jii^ ^>C^^ CayOc^A^ -tS^ 



112 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

kSJ- yOM' -2^^ /2A<^<X<1> .Jutn^</ u/zxJti'%^ 

Practice To get the correct form clearly in mind, write a 

note of a single sentence, dating it at your own 
street number today, addressing it to your brother 
Harvey, and signing your own name. Look at each 
of these steps in the model just before you write it. 
Trade papers with a friend and compare with the 
model. 

Your teacher will dictate a short note to you to 
see how well you can us(^ this letter form witliout your 
book. Check your own i)a])er by the model. 

Write Write a note to your friend. Drop it into the 

mail-box on your teacluM-'s desk. If you have time, 
write a second, but two is the linu't. 

While you are waiting for the others to finish, you 



[Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 113 

will enjoy reading these letters^ supposedly written 
by a ten-year-old boy about the year 1867. William 
Henry had been sent to a boarding-school because 
his grandmother was likely to spoil him. Grand- 
mother was so very lonesome without him that he 
wrote her long letters telling everything about him- 
self and his schoolmates. 

My dear Grandmother, 

One of my elbows came through, but the woman sewed 
it up again. I've used up both my balls of twine. My 
white-handled knife — I guess it went through a hole in 
my pocket, that I didn't know about until after the knife 
was lost. My trousers grow pretty short, but she says it 
is partly my legs getting long. I'm glad of that. 

My boat is almost rigged. She says she will hem the 
sails if I won't leave any more caterpillars in my pockets. 
I'm getting all kinds of caterpillars to see what kinds of 
butterflies they will make. 

Yesterday, Dorry and I started from the pond to run, 
and see who would get home first. He went one way and 
I went another. I cut across the two Betseys' garden. 
But I don't see how I did so much hurt in just cutting 
across once. I knew something cracked. That was the 
sink-spout I jumped down on off the fence. There was a 
board I hit that had huckleberries spread out on it to dry. 
They went into the rain-water hogshead. I didn't know 
any huckleberries were spread out on that board. I 
meant to go between the rows, but I guess I stepped on a 
few beans. My wrist got hurt dreadfully because I tripped 
up in a squash vine, and while I was down a bumble-bee 
stung me on the chin. I stepped on a little chicken for 
she ran the way I thought she wasn't going to. I don't 
remember whether I shut the gate or not, but I suppose 

^From The William Henry Letters, by Abby Morton Diaz. By per- 
mission of the publishers, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Company. 



114 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

not, for the pig got in and went rooting before the lame 
Betsey saw him. The other Betsey was away somewhere. 

I got home first, but my wrist ached and my sting 
smarted. You forgot to WTite down what was good for 
bumble-bee stings. Benjie said his Aunt Polly put damp 
sand on stings, so he put a good deal of it on my chin and 
it got better, though my wrist kept aching in the night. 

Just before school was done, the master said that we 
might put away our books. Then he talked about the two 
Betseys, and told how the lame one became lame by sav- 
ing a little boy's life when the house was on fire. She 
jumped out of a window with him. Then he told about 
the damage done the day before by some boy running 
through their garden, and said that five dollars would 
hardly be enough to pay for it. "I don't know what boy 
it was," said he, "but if he is present I call upon him to 
rise." 

Then I stood up. I was ashamed but I stood up for you 
told me once this saying: "Even if truth be a loaded 
cannon walk straight up to it." 

The master ordered me not to go to the playground for 
a week, nor be out of the house in play hours. 

Your affectionate grandchild, 

William Hent^y. 

My dear Gr.\xdmother, 

Lame Betsey gave me something to put on my wrist 
that cured it. I went there to ask how much money must 
be paid. I had sold my football, and my brass sword, 
and my pocket-book. They told me that they would not 
take any money, but if I would saw some wood for them 
and do an errand now and then they would be very glad. 
When I told Dorry, he threw up his hat and called out, 
"Three cheers for the two Betseys!" When his hat came 
down he j)assed it round; "for," said he, "we all owe them 
something." One large l)oy dropped fifty cents in. It 
all came to about four dollars. Bubby Short carried it to 
them. But I shall saw wood for them all the same. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 115 

I've launched my boat. She's the biggest one in school. 
Dorry broke a bottle upon her and christened her the 
"General Grant." The boys gave three cheers when she 
touched the water and Benjie sent up his new kite. It's 
a ripper of a kite with a great gilt star on it. 

My hat blew off, and I had to go swimming after it. It 
is quite stiff. The master was walking by and stopped 
to see the launching. When he smiles he looks just as 
pleasant as anything. 

He patted me on my cheek, and said, "You ought to 
have named her the 'Flying Billy.' " Then he walked on. 

"What does 'Flying Billy' mean? " said I. 

"It means you," said Dorry, "and it means that you 
run fast and that he likes you. If a boy can run fast, and 
knows his multiplication table, and won't lie, he likes him." 
Your affectionate grandchild, 

W^iLLiAM Henry. 

P. S. There's a man here that has nine puppies. If I 
had some money I could buy one. I'm sorry you dropped 
off your spectacles down the well. I suppose they sunk. 

W. H. 
38 

Complications 

Probably two thirds of all the mistakes in using Find your 
pronouns are made in sentences like these below. ^^ ^ 
Do you know which form is right? 

1. Harriet has invited my brother and (I, me.) 

2. You and (he, him) together can manage the store 

very well. 

3. The president must appoint either you or (she, her). 

The principles that you have learned apply here, study 
The nominative forms 7, he, she, etc., should be used ^^^^^'^^^ 
for subject and predicate nominative; the accusa- 



116 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

lives me, him, her, etc., for object of the verb. Re- 
view your definitions of subject, predicate nominative, 
and object. They hold here as elsewhere, yet there 
may be difficulty in applying them here. 

If in (a) my brother and were left out, it would be 
easy to see that me is the object. My brother and 
does not change this at all. The "thing that the 
subject acts upon" in this sentence is really two 
things — brother and me. Both brother and me are 
objects of invited. And, used to connect them and 
for nothing else, is a conjunction or joining word. 
So is or in (c). 
Practice Examine each sentence below to find the subject 

and the object. Then read the sentence as it should 
stand : 

1. Johnnj^'s father found (he, him) and (I, me) in his 

garage. 

2. The teacher saw you and (she, her) with the dog. 

3. (He, him) and his brother have just opened a repair 

shop. 

4. My father and (she, her) are first cousins. 

5. Martin accused Frank and (I, me) of steahng the cake. 

6. (She, her) and (lie, lum) have had some serious 

quarrels. 

7. We blamed them for tlie collision and they blamed 

us. Tlie j)ohccman arrested botli (tlicy, them) and 
(we, us). 

8. Either (we, us) or (tliev, tliem) will liave to j)ay the 

bill. 
0. You could not lia\-e schmi eilli(M' (slie, lier) or (I, me). 

10. (He, him) and (I, me) do nol, liowc^xcr, agree ui)()n 

political issues. 

11, For that matter (he, him) and his wife can't talk 

politics without (luarreling. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 117 

12. Neither (she, her) nor (he, him) should complain 

of the other. 

13. Grace and (I, me) have always worked together a 

great deal. 

14. Our enemies have nominated both you and (I, me). 

15. Either (we, us) or (they, them) will be badly dis- 

appointed at the result. 

Here are additional sentences which you may use 
for practice, if you wish. 

16. My chum and (I, me) both have new skates. 

17. Both you and (we, us) will be glad to have the game 

postponed. 

18. No team has defeated both Senn and (we, us). 

19. Neither Senn nor (we, us) could score on the other. 

20. The janitor let Vinton and (I, me) in at eight o'clock 

this morning. 

21. I can't blame either you or (he, him). 

22. Warren and Eloise were the only ones at the meeting. 

Did (he, him) or (she, her) write the notice.^ 

23. Both her teacher and (she, her) think she should be 

promoted now. 

24. Will you not invite (she, her) and (I, me) to meet at 

your house Saturday? 

25. Deborah and (I, me) both like milk better than coffee. 

26. Bring the children too. I shall expect both you and 

(they, them) for dinner. 

27. You know both (he, him) and (I, me). 

28. Either (he, him) or (I, me) must stay at home. 

29. I surprised both her father and (he, him) with a big 

birthday dinner. 

30. Either his partner or (he, him) is at the store all the 

time. 

You may try team games with these sentences if 
you wish. Let contestants from each team try to 



118 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Bookl] 

read through the sentences rapidly, without making 
an error. See which team makes the best score. 

Add twenty similar sentences to the list. See who 
can read the fifty with the highest percentage of cor- 
rect form. 

39 

Gone but not Forgotten 

vrohleT^ Think over the members of your class who have 
dropped out of school. Some have moved away, 
some have dropped out because of ill health, and 
perhaps some have gone to work. Of those who have 
left school or who are now absent because of sickness 
choose the one that you think would most appreciate 
a letter from you, telling about affairs at school. 
Write Think over what he would like to have you tell 

your € ers ^j^^^^^ ^^^ make a list of the topics. Write a para- 
graph about each topic. 
Revise Some time ago when you were preparing your 

letters budget of stories to exchange with another group 
you made a list of the principles of form you had 
learned in earlier grades. Recall that list. If it does 
not include all the items below add the missing ones. 

1. Margins 4. Capitals in names 

2. Indentions 5. Apostrophes in possessives 

3. Question marks 6. Punctuation of quotations 

Look up in your last year's text any of these 
about which you are not certain. Then look over 
your letter to see that you have made use of your 
knowledge — once for each point. 

Before vou send the hotter ask another member 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 119 

of the class to look it over to discover mis- 
takes and to suggest improvements. If there are so 
many corrections required that the letter looks untidy 
or if the improvements suggested cannot easily be 
made without long erasures, rewrite the letter. Where 
you and your critic cannot agree, call your teacher 
into the conference. He will be glad to help also 
with any other difficulty you may have in writing. 
If you complete your work before the others and 
cannot be of further service as a friendly critic, try 
this. Read this note through just once. Then go 
to the board and draw the floor plan described. 

916 Clover Road 

Brighton, N. Y. 

T^ ^^ June 28, 1921 

Dear May, 

We have just moved into our little new house and how 
I wish you could see it this very minute. It has a large 
living room which extends across the entire front, with a 
bay window facing east where I can have flower boxes. 
Leading from the living room is a pretty dining room with 
glass doors. It is not quite so large as the living room, be- 
cause the hall to the stairs also goes off the living room. 
From the dining room you go through the pantry to my 
pretty little kitchen, so bright and cheerful with its win- 
dows on three sides. 

I can't begin to tell you all about the upstairs. You 
must come to see us soon. 

Of course we have a large front porch. Jack is seeding 
the front yard so we hope to have a lawn eventually. 

I am putting all my new things in place. Do find time 
to run out here for a day. I want your advice about cur- 
tains. 

Yours lovingly, 

Edna. 



IW 



ENGLISH IX SERVICE 



Book 1 



Mail your 
letters 



^Mien the letter is finished, study the envelope 
address on this page and prepare your letter for mail- 
ing. If any of your classmates have ^Titten to the 
same person, perhaps several letters can be put into 
the same envelope and postage saved. See that 
your letter is sent before it grows stale. 



STAMP 






40 

A Letter to Mail 



A "Red- 
Letter Day" 



Xow that you have had some practice in letter- 
writing, this wouhl be a good time to write your 
cousin or friend that K'tter which you have been talk- 
ing about for so long. You may take the class hour 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 121 

today to do it, and you need not show it or read it to 
any other member of the class. Your teacher will 
probably want to see the general form of your letter 
and will be glad to help with any difficulty which 
you may have, but she will not read the body of it. 
You are to be free to say just what you would say 
if you were writing at home. 

Ask yourself these questions: Will this letter Revise 
interest and please the person who gets it.^ Is it f^^^J^ 
well enough done to make the reader think well of 
my school.^ Will he find periods omitted or in the 
wrong place, misspelled words, singular verbs with 
plural subjects .f^ Don't stop work until you can 
say yes to the first two questions and no to the others. 

When you have put your letter in the envelope, ^jail 
addressed it, and put on the stamp, show it to your f^^^^ 
teacher so that she may know that you have finished. 

Then find something interesting to read until the 
others in the class have finished. Write on the 
blackboard the name of the story you choose and 
sign your name. 

41 

Please Come! 

Invitations, except those to formal parties, are Find your 
usually written in the form of social letters such as vrohk 
you have been writing lately. Think what sort of 
party you would like to give — an afternoon at home, a 
simple birthday dinner, or a surprise for some friend — 
and choose three of your classmates for guests.^ 

Write the invitations, explaining where and when Write 

^Perhaps your class may give a real party for another school group or 
for your mothers. 



lem 



122 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

the entertainment is to be given, with just a hint of 
what you are going to do. Fold the invitations to 
letter size, and on the back write the address as on an 
envelope. (Let seat number and row determine the 
street number — e. g., the fourth seat from the front 
in the second row from the door will be 4 (or 400) 
Second Street.) 

One of the worst places in the world to blunder in 
tact or form is in giving an invitation. Look your 
notes over very carefully, each time for some special 
point, such as periods or letter form. If you wish, 
you may ask some classmate who is particularly 
good in English to look them over, too. 

The teacher will be postmaster, with as many 
deputies as are needed. Make a point of following 
without any mistake the directions about mailing. 
One of the most valuable abilities in the working 
world is the ability to follow directions accurately. 
I^etters improperly addressed will be returned by the 
postal authorities. 

If you finish before the others, read this invitation 
and write on the blackboard an answer to it. 

55 Elm Street 

Fairfield, New York 

,. ., October 10, 1921 

Dear ( ousin, 

On Friday evening, October 31, I am going to give a mas- 
(jiuTadc i)nrt y to entertain a <^Mrl friend of mine who lias come 
from Boston for a \isit. I li()])e tiiat each guest will come 
in costume representing some character in a book, not a his- 
torical character but a familiiir hero or heroine of fiction. 

I won't he (juite ha])py unless you are at the party. It 
will hc^'in at eight o'clock. Please write that you arc 



[ Book 1 J ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



123 



surely coming, and let me know what character you mean 
to be and what kind of costume you will wear. 

Yours lovingly, 

Anna. 
42 

The Answer 

You must, of course, answer the invitations which Find your 
have come to you, saying that you will be glad to attend ^'^owm 
or explaining why you cannot. In either case you 
should show your friendly spirit as clearly as possible. 

Write your notes of acceptance or regret and mail Write 
them as the invitations were mailed. Always read 
letters over before posting them. 

If you finish before the others, you will be interested 
to see how party invitations are given and answered 
when the occasion is quite formal. The following are 
examples of a formal invitation and its acceptance. 







«iX»ZIIl thlt***_<JUj»-X^Alv^ 



124 



ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 



.mA^ 



vUA/. Cu*uL ^^<^- 'vLiVL^^ *^^^t^#j< '^^U.U^l^y^ 



43 

Tell Me, Please 

^Vhether you liave required home reading? or not you 
will no doubt soon be choosing a new book from the 
library, and wish you could be sure of drawing one 
you will like. Try to get help from any member of 
your class by asking him to recommend l)ooks of a 
certain kind which you describe or by asking him to 
describe in a general way a certain book which you 
are thinking of reading. ]\Iake your request in a 
note addressed to the classmate whose ()j)inion you 
wish and hand it to your teaeluM', who will i)lay 
postmaster. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 125 

You will need to think twice before attempting to 
explain just what kind of book you wish to have 
recommended. Think of two or three that you have 
liked best and try to find what it is that you like in 
them. Will it be best to give examples of the type 
of book you are asking for.^ Ought you to tell what 
books of this sort you have read? In what order 
ought your questions and your explanations to 
stand.? When you are sure you know just what 
you wish to ask and just what you must tell, write 
out your note. 

Examine your work to see whether you have been 
definite in both questions and statements. Reread 
the letter a last time to be sure that you have followed 
letter style and have used periods wherever they 
are needed. 

Your teacher will not accept for delivery any note 
which is not satisfactory in form and clear in content. 



Write your 
letters 



Revise your 
letters 



44 

I Recommend 

The information and opinions asked for should be 
given. Whether these replies should be written or 
oral can best be decided by the teacher when he has 
read the inquiries. If you know of no book of just 
the kind asked for, recommend one as similar as 
possible, explaining how it seems to you to differ 
from the specifications of the request. 



Answer the 
letters 



CHAPTER IV 



Read 
silently 



Find your 
problem 



45 

Lost and Found 

I was very much surprised when I was in the school 
the other day to see the number of hats and caps 
which had collected in the lost-and-found drawer. 
I wonder whether those children went home bare- 
headed! \Mien I spoke about it at home brother 
John said, *'Well, that's nothing; you ought to see 
the things that come into the 'Lost and Found' down 
at the store. I worked there one w^ek when the 
regular man was sick. Everything you can think of, 
from powder puffs to puppies ! And the people that 
come looking for things! At first I didn't believe 
the strange stories they told me and thought they 
were crooks trying to get someone else's things, 
but after a while I came to think the strangest stories 
WTre the most likely to be true. Some of them cry, 
and some of them blush, and a few are angry because 
the things haven't been left where they put them." 
Then he told me a few of the stories, and they icere 
interesting, especially what the people said. 

That night the Lost-and-Found Colunm in the 
(n'ening paper happened to catch my eye. Some of 
the advertisements were thrilling "human interest" 
stories in outline. Look through that column in 

126 I ^«>^- ' I 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 127 

today's paper and see for yourself. Take ^yq 
minutes to let your imagination supply the details 
of the story which seems most interesting. 

Share with the class the fun you have got out of the Tell your 
advertisement. Make it a contest to see who can 
supply the most Hfelike particulars, the decision 
being by class vote. A condition of the contest 
is that anyone using (except in direct quotations) 
an s verb with a phiral subject or violating the 
principle about pronouns which you discovered the 
other day (See page 115) cannot be voted for, and 
must stop at once unless given special permission by 
the class to continue. The teacher will appoint a 
pupil umpire to enforce this rule. 

46 

My Loss 

Plan to tell some experience of your own in con- Findyom 
nection with a lost article, or an experience that you ^'""^^^^ 
have heard or read about. 

Here are some things to think about: What was study 
lost.^ How was it probably lost.^ What search 
was made.? Who helped.? Was the lost article 
found.? Can I, without telling directly, show how 
the loser felt? Does the narrative as I am planning 
it show how to avoid such accidents.? Does each 
detail contribute to the effect I wish to produce? 
Where must I pause and drop my voice to indicate 
complete sentences? 

If you finish before the others write a lost adver- 
tisement on the blackboard. Remember that you 



128 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 ] 



pay for its insertion in the paper according to the 
number of words you use. The best advertisement 
will be left on the blackboard until the story-telling 
exercise is finished, when your teacher will allow 
the writer and any pupil whom he chooses to drama- 
tize the return and identification of the lost article. 

Tell your Choose a leader to call upon the various speakers, 
and two clerks to work at the board. The first 
clerk may record from each story told one well- 
expressed, well-constructed sentence. The second 
clerk may list from each story two examples of verbs 
in agreement with their subjects. 

Judge the Each Speaker may choose his own critic who will 
take special note of his story. Ten minutes should 
be reserved at the close of the lesson for comments 
from the critics and for a discussion of the black- 
board records. 

47 

Good or Well.^ 

Fhulynur Are you always certain whether to use good or 

■problem well, rapid or rapidly, neat or neatly? Try to decide 

between the words in parentheses in the sentences: 



1. Henry was always (careful — can^fully) of liis clothes. 

2. Henry works (careful — carefully) in algebra hut not 

in drawing. 

3. Most l)ig hoys arc (awkward — awkwardly). 

4. Wliy do you sccni so (sad — sadly) ? 

6. You must work (steady — steadily) to make twenty 

dollars a week. 
6. The joke we played on John was (rich — richly). 



[ Book 1 J ENGLISH IN SERVICE 129 

7. The little girl with red hair is (good — well) in 

stenography. 

8. No careless pupil ever does (good — well) in stenog- 

raphy. 

9. At that time the new hardware store was not suc- 

ceeding very (good — well) . 
10. Our house has been decorated (elaborate — ela- 
borately) . 

In which sentences do the words in parentheses study 
describe the subject.^ Do they change the subject together 
in the same way that most, big (sentence 3), no, and 
careless (sentence 8) do.^^ Is it the same to say 
Most big boys are awkward and Most aivkward boys are 
big? Is the subject really the same if we drop out 
most or big or both of them ? It is the custom to say 
that such words, which really change the meaning of 
others, "modify" them. In sentence 8 what words 
modify pupil? Find modifiers of the subjects in 
other sentences. These words that modify subjects 
are "adjectives." 

But the words in parentheses which describe 
the subjects — do they stand near the subjects .^^ 
How are they like predicate nominatives .^^ What 
reasons can you see for calling them "predicate ad- 
jectives".^ 

Agree upon a definition of this new term, "predi- 
cate adjective." Test it by applying it to the fol- 
lowing examples, and if it proves satisfactory, learn 
it. 

1. Our teacher is very strict. 

2. Mary has been sick for three weeks. 

3. One of my brothers was skillful with his hands. 



130 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 1 ] 

4. You will surely be sorry for this. 

5. Are they sure about the prize? 

6. Even at play some boys are lazy. 

7. Our teacher looks fresh and happy this morning. 

Complete these sentences by adding predicate 
adjectives: 

1 . Johnny is 

2. The men in the camp were 

3. Have you been 

4. Just now he is 

5. You and Harriet will be 

6. Cherries without sugar taste too for me. 

Study Note the verbs in the examples just given. Is, 

are, ivas, icere, has been, have been, had been, 
will be, must be, can be, should be, may be—m other 
words, all the forms of 6e— are the verbs commonly 
followed by predicate adjectives. They do not 
express action, but merely assert (say, state) the 
adjectives of the subjects. 

Occasionally seem, appear, jeel, iasie, and a few 
similar verbs are followed by predicate adjectives. 
In most such cases some form of be could be substi- 
tuted without destroying the sense of the sentences. 
In every case the predicate adjective describes the 
subject and not the action. 

48 

The "ly'' Words 

Now we must return to the sentences on page 1^8 in 
which the parentheses did not contain predicate ad- 



Fi}Kl i/niir 
prnhliiii 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 131 

jectives. In Henry works carefully in algebra, what 
word does carefully "modify," or change? Turn 
back to the sentences and Hst on the blackboard the 
words (or word groups) they modify. What parts 
of the sentences do these words on the blackboard 
prove to be? Why, then, should these modifiers be 
called "adverbs"? 

Work out on the board a definition of the term Study 
adverb. Test it upon the italicized words (adverbs ^^^^^ ^ 
modifying the predicate verbs) in the sentences that 
follow, and if it seems satisfactory, learn it. 

1. He saw you clearly. 

2. You gave it to me freely. 

3. The men in the army worked hard all day. 

4. Myrtle has lived here all her life. 

5. The thief ran away from us. 

6. This machine works now, anyway. 

7. Have you seen him recently ? 

8. He does not come this year. 

In the first sentences we studied, the adverbs all 
tell how the action is performed. We may say they 
answer the question How? after the verb — e. g., 
Must work how? Was succeeding how? or Has been 
decorated how? In the last group of sentences find 
adverbs that answer other questions after the verb. 
List on the board the different questions they answer. 
The different questions that adverbs answer are of 
importance only to help you make sure whether the 
word in question really does modify the verb or not. 

List in one column all the adverbs in the sentences 
you have been studying. Opposite each one in a 



132 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

second column set the adjective of similar meaning. 
A\^at is the commonest difference between the 
forms? Do you find other pairs like icell and 
good? Is there any adjective form corresponding to 
hard? Can you find any cases like it? Look in the 
dictionary for slmu and slowhj, loud and loudly, quul: 
and quickly. Few when or where adverbs have corre- 
sponding adjectives. 

49 

Practice 

Findyour The problem on page 128 which started all this 
'problem g^udy of adjcctivcs and adverbs can be solved by 
deciding whether the doubtful word describes the 
subject or the action of the verb. Learn to apply 
this principle by pointing out in the following sen- 
tences the predicate adjectives and any adverbs 
which modify the predicate verbs. If there is any 
disagreement about a word that you have called an 
adverb, show what question it answers. 



^iudji 



,>n/a// 1. The balloon rose slowly from among the trees. 

tMjiflur 2, Some salesnuMi talk loiully about nothing. 

3. All of us worked late last night because of the holi- 

day today. 

4. She is patient with yon. 

5. You must be patient with children. 
0. Henry and I are sorry for you. 

7. Lately we have had light home work. 

8. Yesterday our assignment in history was long. 

9. Dick and' Jennie played their parts ])est. 

10. Formerly the statue of Hisniarck stood there. 

11. You must not be tardy again. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 133 

12. The children were happy because of the extra va- 

cation. 

13. Have you never met my cousin Amy.'' 

14. The airplane suddenly shot down, down, down, 

almost to the ground. 

15. Always do well the work of the day. 

16. Soon you can do it easily. 

17. Yesterday she was sick in bed. 

18. The letter was beautifully written. 

19. Her hair looks red to me. 

20. Steadily the lad's face grew whiter. 

21. Usually arithmetic is easy for me. Today it seems 

very difficult. 

50 

More Practice 

Now that you have studied the subject, the Find your 
predicate, the object, the predicate nominative, and ^^ ^^ 
the predicate adjective, you have all the basic parts 
of the sentence. Other words, except the connect- 
ives, must be modifiers belonging to these basic parts. 
In order to recognize these various parts of a sentence 
as quickly as you must if you are to use your knowl- 
edge of them satisfactorily, you will need to practice 
finding them and to review frequently. 

Here are some sentences for practice in analysis. Study 
Name the parts in this order (1) the subject, (2) the ^""^^^''^ 
predicate verb, (3) the predicate adjective, predicate 
nominative, or object of the verb (no two of these 
can appear in the same sentence), (4) the modifiers 
of the subject, (5) modifiers of the verb, (6) modifiers 
of the predicate adjective, predicate nominative, or 
object. If you prefer you may write the sentences 



134 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 1 ] 

on the board and mark the part s, v, o, etc., as is 
done on page 190. 

1. We saw you very clearly. 

2. The yellow house is my home. 

3. Yesterday Henry ate too much cake. 

4. Today Henry does not like cake. 

5. Mother makes delicious chocolate cake. 

6. Most children study long enough. 

7. Some children do not study hard enough. 

8. Bertha's mother has a very sweet face. 

9. Just now we are studying grammar. 

10. Are you still using my eraser? 

11. Have you finished today's mathematics lesson? 

12. This lesson seems very hard. 

13. The air here always feels wet. 

14. The tardy bell rang long ago. 

15. Study tomorrow's lesson now. 

16. My collie pup learns new tricks quite readily. 

17. Come again soon. 

18. Do not do that again. 

19. Four-year-old Eva can dress herself. 

20. Even baby rabbits can run very fast. 

51 

Practice Again 

study Fill the blanks in the following sentences with 

^^'^''"' appropriate adjectives or adverbs: 

1. Tlio car was. . . .increasing its speed but I tried 

to catch it as it passed me. 

2. Our plans were really but we failed because we 

(h(l not follow them 

3. You will be. . . on examination day if you do your 

work. . . .now. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 135 

4. I have done my "daily dozen". . . .for the last six 

weeks and my health is improving 

5. Though Harold writes. . . . , he spells very 

6. I feel very .... now that I have become .... to this 

climate. 

7. You played your part It suited you 

8. The lettering on the poster was done very . . . . ; in 

fact, the whole poster was unusually 

9. That Hubert always did his work .... was the reason 

that his salary was .... increased. 

10. By photogravure the lights and shadows are repro- 

duced 

11. Washington was defeated. . . .by the British, but he 

. . . .gained his point even in defeat. 

12. The cake on the table smelled .... and looked .... too. 

13. "Don't walk so. . . . !" shouted the officer 

14. The dog was rushing. . . .toward him while we looked 

on 

15. He behaved so. .. .under fire that Congress..., 

voted him the Distinguished Service Medal. 

16. The captain says that if we support the team .... 

they will .... defeat Springfield to-morrow. 

17. Bertha's report was. . . .and was delivered. . . .too. 

18. That suit does seem .... but I must have clothes that 

will wear 

19. Colcord cars are made That is why we can 

guarantee them. 

20. Our class has done .... in grammar but has succeeded 

... .in composition. 

52 

A Grammar Match 

Tomorrow you may have a grammar match. The ^^^v ^^^ 
class will be divided into equal teams, A and B, and 
the teacher will act as umpire. The first player of 



136 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

team A will write on the blackboard a sentence like 
one of the ten examples on page 128 — e. g., John 
walked {rapid, rapidly) to the front of the room or The 
radiator felt {hot, hotly) to me. He must be careful 
that the word to be chosen is either a predicate ad- 
jective describing the subject, or an adverb modify- 
ing the verb. If his sentence does not meet this 
requirement, one point will be scored against his side. 
The first player on team B will indicate which is the 
proper form by reading the sentence as it should be. 
If he does this correctly, he may then propose a 
sentence for the second member of team A; if he fails, 
one point will be marked against his side and he will 
lose his opportunity to propose a sentence. At the 
end of the match tlie side having the fewer mistakes 
will be declared the winner. 

53 

Pure Fiction 

Here is your chance to make up a story. You have* 
problem retold otlicr i)eople\s stories, you have read many 
stories in books, but now you have a chance to make 
one all your own. 

Just to get a start you may take three things — a 
boy, a business man, and a pocketbook — about which 
to weave a story. The pocketbook may belong to 
the boy, or to tlie man, or to neither. It may be 
lost or found, or stolen or given away. It may be 
empty or full. The occasion may be Thanksgiving, 
Christmas, April First, July P'ourth, or Circus day, 
or anv time you like. 'J'he characters may be 



Find yo)ir 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 137 

father and son, friends, or strangers. The story 
may be exciting, mysterious, comic, or tragic, ac- 
cording to your own fancy. 

You will find it easier to write this story than to tell Study 
it orally. Writing will compel you to think it out 
definitely and give you time to work out details ex- 
actly to your liking. Think out your plot. 

When you have your plot well in mind, read ^^,i 
this story. 

The Tables Turned 

Ralph Wendling was very dignified, not to say stiff, as 
became the Assistant Cashier of the Beverly Bank. The 
small boys of the town declared that he was "stuck up." 
The young ladies of the community divined that young 
Mr. Wendling's excessive dignity was really only bash- 
fulness and arose from embarrassment at having suddenly 
become so important a figure in the public eye. No one, 
however, guessed that in his native village Wendling had 
been a popular young man, much in demand at parties 
because of the sleight-of-hand tricks he could always be 
persuaded to perform. 

As Wendling stood near an open window during the noon 
lull on a pleasant April day he heard a few disquieting 
sentences of the conversation of three boys hurrying home 
from school. 

"Do you suppose he'll try to pick it up?" 

" Sure. Young Mr. Cashier is just as anxious for money 
as anybody in town." 

"Won't it be funny to see him lose that starchy dignity 
of his!" 

"Sh! Sh! He might hear you." 

All morning he had been reminded by every check pre- 
sented that it was All Fools' Day and had been on the 
lookout for some attempt to fool him. The boys were 
going to try it. The time he readily guessed to be his going 



138 ENGLISH IX SER^^CE [ Bool- 1 ] 

to dinner half an hour h\ter. The trick would evidently 
be the old one of a pocketbook at the end of a string. 

Thirty minutes later the young banker, having pro- 
\4ded himself with five new and unusually bright pennies, 
set out for his boarding place. Surely enough, when he 
had walked only a block he saw on the sidewalk fifty 
feet ahead a well-worn but not empty purse. With head 
up Wendling marched along apparently unconscious of 
the purse, but he spaced his steps so that one foot fell 
upon it. Then he stopped, deliberately set the other foot 
upon the string, and tore the pocketbook loose. 

As he opened it and took out a wad of tissue paper 
the boys started from their liiding place with shouts of 
"April Fool! April Fool!" As he took out the second 
wad the boys came closer, partly to tease and partly to 
recover, if possible, the bait they had used. Wendling, 
however, was still searching in the old pocketbook and 
seemed to be finding something which interested and 
pleased him. Finally he drew out one shining coin after 
another and counted to himself — but loud enough for the 
boys to hear — "Five dollars, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty- 
five!" First he started as if to put the whole into his 
pocket, and then seemed to notice the boys for the 
first time. 

"Boys, did you put this old pocketbook here to fool 
people?" 

They hated to confess — but they hated worse to let 
that money get away. How had they ever overlooked it 
when they j)icked the old purse out of the ash heap at 
La\\yer Benson's! So they somewhat shamefacedly ac- 
knowledged their guilt. 

"Then let me give you a little advice," said Wendling. 
"The next time you try April Fool tricks look into the 
purse before you throw it down on the sidewalk. You'll 
get your money back this time (here he chinked the purse 
on his hand) but you might not l)e so lucky again. Here, 
which one does this Ix'long to?" 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 139 

Lawrence extended a trembling hand, and fairly grabbed 
the purse as Wendling held it out. He was about to 
pocket it on the ground that he was the finder, but the 
other boys threatened him with such terrible punishment 
that he finally agreed to divide on the spot. When he 
poured the treasure into his palm, behold the five pennies ! 

Before the disappointed boys could think of anything 
to say Wendling had turned the corner, with a grin that 
said quite plainly, "April Fool!" 



What determined the order in which the events of Discuss 
this story were told? Would it make any difference 
if the order were changed — for instance, if the ap- 
parently insignificant fact of Wendling's sleight-of- 
hand were not introduced until near the end, or if 
his supplying himself with new pennies were not 
noted in its proper place? Does the principle of 
order followed in this story apply to most narratives? 

For at least one of your letters you made an out- 
line and then devoted a paragraph to each topic in 
your outline. Can you make an outline of this 
story? Will there be a point for each paragraph? 
You will find it best to state your points in sen- 
tences rather than merely as topics. Make the 
outline on the board if you wish. 

How big does a point have to be to deserve a para- 
graph for itself? What are the changes in this story 
which are marked by the paragraphing? Are they 
changes of time? Of place? Of the person acting? 
Of the kind of action? In class discussion try to 
arrive at a conclusion as to how narratives should be 
divided into paragraphs. 



140 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Wntc your Before vou write your own story you will do well 

stones *■ ... 

to make an outline similar to the one that you have 
been discussing. Then write the story on pencil 
paper, and read it over, correcting any mistakes that 
you can find and making it sound well. When it 
satisfies you, copy it neatly in ink. Be your own 
critic. 

If you finish before the others, choose one of the 
cut-out magazine pictures^ and write a word plot on 
the board. 

Here is an example: 



Picture girl — canoe — 

small dam and rapids — 

chooses smooth place — 

shoots over — 

companion in second canoe — 

capsizes — 

girl to the rescue. 

Your teacher will leave the best one on the black- 
board and allow the author to call upon some member 
of the class to tell the story he has indicated. 

Your teacher will allow time tomorrow for the oral 
reading of the better stories. The class may de- 
cide which of the stories read is the best one. The 
others will be fastened together and circulated among 
the pupils who care to read them outside of school 
hours. 



Rend to 
the class 



'In preparation for this Irsson suitable pictures should l>e brought to 
school by tcarhor and pui)ils. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 141 

54 

Misjudged 

I didn't know who had written the note, but father 
wouldn't beheve me. He always thinks I know about all 
the mischief that goes on. 

Who do you suppose is talking in this quotation? Find your 
To whom is he talking? What has happened? ^^^^^^ 
Does he succeed in convincing his father? How does 
it all end? Write out the complete story as you Write 
imagine it. You will doubtless be amused when you 
have finished to see how different your story is from 
that of your friends. Decide whether you would 
rather send your bundle of stories to a normal school 
to be read by young men and women who are study- 
ing to be teachers, to the parent-teacher association 
or a woman's club, or to some higher class in your 
own school. 

If you have sufficient detail and true chronological 
order, you can scarcely fail to please your readers. 

You want your stories to entertain, and, if they go Revise 
to normal school, to help grown-ups understand ^^^rL^ 
children better. Does your story seem probable to 
you, now that it's done? Ask your neighbor what 
he thinks about it. When it seems true to life, proof- 
read it. (Printers take a trial copy of any type they 
have set to see whether there are mistakes to be cor- 
rected before the printing is done. These trial copies 
are called "proofs," and correcting them is reading 
proof. It is always very carefully done, one article 
sometimes being read six times.) 



142 ENGLISH EN' SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

If you finish before the others, write a brief note 
of explanation to be sent with the bundle of stories 
to the people who are to read them. Ask the recipi- 
ents to help your class improve in composition by 
writing critical comments on the papers before they 
are returned. 
Dixu^the These stories will be judged by a group of people 
not familiar with the work that your class has been 
doing. Their written comments upon your ' com- 
positions will be interesting and instructive because 
their judgment will be an unbiased, outside point 
of \'iew. ^'^^len the papers are returned it will be 
profitable to spend some time discussing in class the 
criticisms which they have offered. 

55 

Ax Ar-MY or Xa^t Hero 

Read The United States has always tried to avoid war 

'^^^y and has never kept a large standing army, yet she 
has always had reason to be proud of the conduct of 
her soldiers when war became necessary. Especially 
in the desperate struggles of the Revolution, the 
Civil War, and the World War, did Americans dis- 
tinguish themselves for bravery and intelligence. 
You will read with pride and admiration of such 
deeds as Sergeant York's single-handed capture of a 
whole battery of German machine guns or Wayne's 
escape from the British by jumping his horse over a 
twenty-foot precipice into a swift river. Hero Tales 
from American History, by Lodge and Roosevelt, and 
the Century Magazine for the year 1918 are rich in 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 143 

anecdotes of this sort. Perhaps some of the service 
men hving in your community can be persuaded to 
tell of incidents which have never been printed. 

You may find it hard to decide which is the best Find your 
story, but you can easily choose one good enough to ^^ ^^ 
be retold for the benefit of your classmates who have 
not happened to read it. 

If books are accessible, spend the remainder of this Study 
hour in reading to find instances of heroism. If you 
read straight through the chapters in the histories or 
through the magazine articles, you cannot search far 
in the time you have. Glance at the topical heading 
or marginal gloss to see what the paragraph or section 
is about. In some cases you may have to read the 
first sentence to determine this. Resolutely skip 
everything that will not help in what you are trying 
to do. 

When you have found your incident and read it 
through, try to repicture it with the book closed. 
Reread the original to see whether you missed any 
important idea. How can you tell it so as to show 
the heroism without tiresome comment.^^ What de- 
tails are necessary to make other people see the 
courage required .^^ Try to convey your own feeling 
by your choice of adjectives and verbs. Rehearse 
once so that your narrative will be smooth and 
vigorous. 

You will have a whole class period for the recital of 
these stories, and as many as possible should be told. Tell your 

Besides commenting upon the subject-matter and 
the telling of the stories, perhaps you can think of an Arrange a 
audience outside your class who would be enter- vrogram 



144 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

tained and made more enthusiastically patriotic by 
listening to some of the better narratives. 

56 

More Fiction 

Find your Here is another chance to exercise your imagina- 
pro em ^.^^ ^^^ your owu entertainment and that of your 
friends. The story you write this time is almost sure 
to be funny. If you can make a pathetic or solemn 
story about two six-j^ear-old cousins, their maiden 
aunt, and a bag of candy, you have permission to do 
so. 
Write What will the cousins want to do.^ Should they 

do it.^ Will their aunt want them to do it.^ Will 
she know how to manage them? What will be the 
end of the story .^ When you have planned your 
incident write it out rapidly. Then correct your 
first draft with great care so that you may feel proud 
of your final copy. Perhaps it will be necessary for 
you to review the principles of paragraphing and 
punctuating conversation before you complete your 
story. 

If you have some spare time after your story has 
been written read how Budge and I'oddie made 
things lively for T'ncle Harry as John Hablx rton t( lis 
it in UcU'u's Hahlcs-. 

Uncle Harry as NuRSEMAm^ 

"Ockcn TTaw^vy," rcmarktMl Toddie, "daysli an awfoo 
funny chnnt.iip tair.s — awfoo hi^ clinnt. I sliow it yon 
after l)r('i)sj)np." 

'Hy permission of (Jrosset and Dnnhip. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 145 

"Toddie's a silly little boy," said Budge; *'he always 
says brepspupfor brexpux." 

" Oh ! What does he mean by *chunt,' Budge? " 

"I guess he means trunk," replied my older nephew. 

Recollections of my childish delight in rummaging an 
old trunk — it seems a century ago that I did it — caused 
me to smile sympathetically at Toddie, to his apparent 
delight. "How delightful it is to strike a sympathetic 
chord in child nature," thought I; *'how quickly the in- 
fant eye comprehends the look which precedes the verbal 
expression of an idea ! Dear Toddie ! For years we might 
sit at one table, careless of each other's words, but the 
casual mention of one of thy delights has suddenly brought 
our souls into that sweetest of all human communions." 
"An awfoo funny chunt" seemed to annihilate suddenly 
all differences of age, condition, and experience between 
the wee boy and myself, and 

A direful thought struck me. I dashed upstairs and 
into my room. Yes, he did mean my trunk. I could see 
nothing funny about it — quite the contrary. The bond 
of sympathy between my nephew and myself was sud- 
denly broken. Looking at the matter from the compara- 
tive distance which a few weeks have placed between that 
day and this, I can see that I was unable to consider the 
scene before me with a calm and unprejudiced mind. . . . 

My trunk had contained nearly everything, for while a 
campaigner I had learned to reduce packing to an exact 
science. Now, had there been an atom of pride in my 
composition I might have glorijfied myself, for it certainly 
seemed as if the heap upon the floor could never have come 
out of a single trunk. Clearly Toddie was more of a 
general connoisseur than an amateur in packing. The 
method of his work I quickly discerned, and the discovery 
threw one light upon the size of the heap in front of my 
trunk. A dress hat and its case, when their natural rela- 
tionship is dissolved, occupy nearly twice as much space 
as before, even if the former contains a blacking box not 



146 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Bool- 1 ] 

usually kept in it, and the latter a few cigars soaking in 
bay rum. The same might be said of a portable dressing 
case and its contents, bought for me in Vienna by a brother 
ex -soldier, and designed by an old continental campaigner to 
be perfection itself. The straps which prevented the cover 
from falling entirely back had been cut, broken, or parted 
in some way, and in its hollow lay my dress coat tightly 
rolled up. Snatching it up with a violent exclamation, and 
unrolling it, there dropped from it — one of those infernal 
dolls. At the same time a howl sounded from the doorway. 

"You tookted my dolly out of her cradle — I want to 
wock my dolly — oo — oo — ee — ee — ee!" 

"You young scoundrel!" I screamed — yes, howled, I 
was so enraged — " I've a great mind to cut your throat this 
minute. What do you mean by meddling with my 
trunk?" 

"I doe know." Outward turned Toddie's lower lip; 
I believe the sight of it would move a Bengal tiger to pity, 
but no such thought occurred to me just then. 

"What made you do it.^" 

"Be-^ause." 

"Because what.'^" 

" I — doe — know." 

Just then a terrific roar arose from the garden. look- 
ing out I saw Budge with a bk^eding finger upon one hand, 
and my razor in the other. lie afterward explained that 
he had been making a boat, and that the knife was bad to 
him. To apply adhesive plaster to the cut was the work of 
but a minute, and I liad barely compk^ted this surgical 
operation when Tom's gardener-coacliman appeared and 
handed me a letter. It was addressed in Helen's well- 
known hand and read as follows (the passages in brackets 
were my own connnents) : — 

^ ^^ Bloomdale, Juno ^21, 1875. 

Dear Harry, 

I'm very hai)py in tlie thought that you are with my 

darling children, and although I am liming a lovely time 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 147 

here, I often wish I was with you. [Ump — so do I.] I 
want you to know the little treasures real well. [Thank 
you, but I don't think I care to extend the acquaintance- 
ship further than is absolutely necessary.] It seems to 
me so unnatural that relatives know so little of those of 
their own blood, and especially of the innocent little 
spirits whose existence is almost unheeded. [Not when 
there's an unlocked trunk standing about, sis.] 

Now I want to ask a favor of you. When we were boys 
and girls at home, you used to talk perfect oceans about 
physiognomy, and phrenology, and unerring signs of 
character. I thought it was all nonsense then, but if you 
believe it now, I wish you'd study the children and give me 
your well-considered opinion of them. [Perfect demons, 
ma'am, imps, rascals, born to be hung — both of them.] 

I can't get over the feeling that dear Budge is born for 
something grand. [Grand nuisance!] He is sometimes 
so thoughtful and so absorbed, that I almost fear the result 
of disturbing him. Then, he has that faculty of persever- 
ance which seems to be the only thing some men have 
lacked to make them great. . . . 

Toddie is going to make a poet or a musician or an artist. 
[That's so. All abominable scamps take to some artistic 
pursuit as an excuse for loafing.] His fancies take hold of 
him very strongly. [They do — they do. "Shee wheels go 
wound," for instance.] He has not Budgie's sublime ear- 
nestness but he doesn't need it; the irresistible force with 
which he is drawn toward whatever is beautiful compen- 
sates for the lack. [Ah — perhaps that explains his opera- 
tion with my trunk.] But I want your own opinion, for 
I know you make more careful distinction in character 
than I do. 

Delighting myself with the idea that I deserve most of 

the credit for the lots of reading you will have done by this 

time, and hoping I shall soon have a line telling me how 

my darlings are, I am as ever, ^^ , . . , 
•^ *^ Your lovmg sister, 

Helen. 



148 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 



Judge the 
stories 



Read at 
home 



Each row may submit its best story to be read 
aloud. In order that the selection may be carefully 
made, papers should be exchanged until each pupil 
in a given row has read every story in his group. It 
will be helpful to individual writers if every one who 
reads a story will write some comment upon it regard- 
ing its special points of excellence or its defects. Such 
comments should, of course, be written neatly and 
inconspicuously so that the paper will not be de- 
faced. 

After the five or six stories chosen in the room have 
been read aloud they may be exhibited as models on 
the bulletin board. 

If you enjoy funny stories, and have not read The 
Peterkin Papers, by Lucretia Hale, the book will 
afford you many a good laugh as the *'lady from 
Philadelphia" rescues the Peterkins from their 
absurd difficulties. Some of the incidents can be 
used for amusing little dramatizations when you are 
having a school party. 



Read 
silently 



57 

Historical Anecdotes 

Entertainment is well enough some of the time, but 
we do not come to school merely to be entertained. 
We come to school to learn because we think that the 
more we know the blotter we shall succeed with the 
work which we sliall one day undertake. It is true 
also that the more \V(^ know the more we shall enjoy 
life. Sometimes we make the mistake, however, of 
thinking that we can learn only by studying the 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 149 

facts presented in a textbook. This is not the ease. 
Many of the details that we should like to know about 
historical events, for example, are not in school his- 
tories because of the lack of space; yet these omitted 
details are quite as exciting as any stories to be read 
in The American Boy or The Youth's Companion, and 
they have the additional interest of being true. To tell 
and hear such stories will be a pleasant way of fixing 
historical facts more firmly in your mind and perhaps 
of making them more real and full of meaning. 

Take ten or fifteen minutes of class time to decide Find your 
upon some large topic of history concerning which v^ohUm 
each one will contribute some anecdote or informa- 
tion. Perhaps you will wish to study the local his- 
tory of your city or state, or you may wish to consider 
some great exploration, such as LaSalle's thrilling and 
adventurous journey down the Mississippi or that 
exciting expedition by which George Rogers Clarke 
won the whole Northwest for the United States. You 
may choose to study the complete history of the 
Oregon country and the final settlement of its bound- 
ary dispute, or the romance of the building of the 
Panama Canal. A great variety of topics will sug- 
gest themselves as you discuss the matter. Try to 
choose one that you are sure will be interesting to 
the majority of the class. 

It will pay to take time to plan carefully before Plan the 
anyone is allowed to begin the treatment of the ^^^"^^^ 
topic. Here are some preliminary steps that should 
be taken. 

1. Outline the entire topic. If the outline cannot 
be left on the blackboard during the entire series of 



150 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

lessons, each pupil should make his own copy and 
preserve it carefully for reference. 

2. Consult your teacher and the librarian as to 
where information on the various points may be ob- 
tained. It is a good idea to make a general list of 
books and magazines (called a bibliography) dealing 
with the topic. Remember that museum trips and 
talks with older people may also afford informa- 
tion. 

3. Assign parts to individuals and committees for 
reading and investigation, indicating as nearly as 
possible the dates when their reports will be called 
for. 

4. Start collections of pictures, clippings, and 
objects or specimens connected with the topic. Ap- 
point individuals or committees to be responsible 
for the care and mounting of such material. 

5. Decide what written work, if any, shall be done 
upon the topic. 

6. Plan a "Red-I.etter Day" program to sum- 
marize the entire jiroject. Try to have another grade 
or outside visitors present when this program is 
given. On this occasion the most interesting of the 
oral reports should b(^ repeated, the best com])()sitions 
read, and any related poems recited. If the topic 
permits of interpretative music, your program will 
be even more attractive. 

Girr your Jf the subjcct wliic'li you liavc chosen is broad and 
you study it thoroughly, the presentation of the re- 
ports will probably occupy your oral periods for a 
mouth or six weeks. Plan at least two lessons a W( ek 
upon the project. Remember that you are studying 



rj)ort.s 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 151 

English as well as history, and try to make these 
oral report periods contribute towards your im- 
provement in expression by holding yourselves to 
high standards. Criticize one another's work in a judge the 
helpful way with regard to selection of details, ar- '^^'Ports 
rangement of material, sentence structure, and effec- 
tiveness of endings. It will be interesting to keep a 
class record of suitable words and phrases used by 
various speakers, to discover whether or not the dic- 
tion of the class is improving. Words collected in 
this way may also be used for five-minute vocabulary 
matches and drills. 

58 

Jokes 

Perhaps the history topics which you have been Find your 
using have begun to seem somewhat serious, and you p^^^^^^^ 
would like a change to something purely amusing. 
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy; so now 
try a joke period. Think of the funniest experience 
you have ever known to happen to yourself or to 
someone else. If you cannot think of an actual 
experience choose the funniest anecdote that you 
have ever heard or read. To-morrow you will be 
allowed to tell your joke for the amusement of the 
class. 

Success in this undertaking depends upon (1) tell- Study 
ing the right details in the right order to bring out 
the point, and (2) making the account vivid by means 
of well-chosen words. Think your story through 
several times so that you can tell it in a smooth, in- 



152 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

formal way without any hesitation cr stumbling, and 
so that you will be able to maintain ycur own grav- 
ity. Let your audience be the ones to laugh, not 
yourself. 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 
read the following anecdotes. Which one do you 
think is more amusing.^ Why.^ 



I 



{Mrs. Lirriper has an adopted grandson, Jemmy ^ of whom 
she is very fond. Her boarder. Major Jackman, under- 
takes to teach Jemmy arithmetic just as soon as the child can 
talk. Mrs. Lirriper is proudly telling a friend how much 
the baby has learned.) 

Picture my admiration when the Major, going on al- 
most as quick as if he was conjuring, sets out all the ar- 
ticles he names, and says, ''Three saucepans, an ItaHan 
iron, a hand-bell, a toasting-fork, a nutmeg-grater, four 
potlids, a spice-box, two egg-cups, and a chopping- 
board — how many.'^" and when that Mite instantly 
cries, "Tifteen, put down five and carry the 'toppin- 
board." 

My dear, with tlie same astonishing ease and correct- 
ness, he and the Major added up tlie tables, chairs, and 
sofy, the picters, fender, and fire-irons, their own selves, 
nie and the cat, and the eyes in Miss Wozenham's head, 
and whenever the sum was done. Young Roses and 
Diamonds claps his hands and draws up his legs and 
dances on his chair. 

The pride of the Major! ("Here*s a mind. Ma'am!" 
he says to me behind his hand.) 

Then he says aloud, "We now come to the next ele- 
mentary rule, which is called " 

'*Umtraction!" cries .Jcmmv. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 153 

"Right!" says the Major. "We have here a toasting- 
fork, a potato in its natural state, two pothds, one egg- 
cup, a wooden spoon, and two skewers, from which it is 
necessary for commercial purposes to subtract a gridiron, 
a small pickle-jar, two lemons, one pepper-castor, a 
blackbeetle-trap, and a knob of the dresser-drawer — 
what remains?" 

"Toatin'-fork!" cries Jemmy. 

"In numbers how many?" says the Major. 

"One!" cries Jemmy. 

"Here's a boy, Ma'am!" says the Major to me, behind 
his hand. 

Then the Major goes on: "We now approach the next 
elementary rule, which is entitled " 

" Tickleication ! " cries Jemmy. 

"Correct!" says the Major. 

But, my dear, to relate to you in detail the way in which 
they multiplied fourteen sticks of firewood by two bits 
of ginger and a larding-needle, or divided pretty well 
everything else there was on the table by the heater of 
the Italian iron and a candlestick and got a lemon over, 
would make my head spin round and round and round as 
it did at the time. So I says, "If you'll excuse my ad- 
dressing the chair, Professor Jackman, I think the period 
of the lecture has now arrived when it becomes necessary 
that I should take a good hug of this young scholar." 
Upon which Jemmy calls out from his station on the 
chairs, "Gran, open oor arms and me'll make a 'pring into 
'em." So I opened my arms to him as I had opened my 
sorrowful heart when his poor young mother lay a-dying, 
and he had his jump and we had a good, long hug together; 
and the Major, prouder than any peacock, says to me 
behind his hand, "You need not let him know it, Madam " 
(which I certainly need not, for the Major was quite 
audible) "but he is a boy!"^ 

Dickens: Mrs. Lirripers Lodgings. 

^By permission of the Macmillau Company. 



154 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 



n 

{The Mock Turtle is telling Alice and the Gryphon about 
his school-days.) 

"^Vhen we were little," the Mock Turtle went on at 
last, more calmly, though still sobbing a little now and 
then, "we went to school in the sea. The master was an 
old Turtle — we used to call him Tortoise " 

"Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?" 
Alice asked. 

"We called him Tortoise because he taught us," said 
the Mock Turtle angrily; "really you are very dull!" 

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a 
simple question," added the Gryphon; and then they 
both sat silent and looked at poor Alice, who felt ready to 
sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said to the 
Mock Turtle, "Drive on, old fellow! Don't be all day 
about it!" and he went on in these words. 

"Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't 
believe it " 

"I never said I didn't!" interrupted Alice. 

"You did," said the Mock Turtle. 

"Hold your tongue!" added the Gryphon, before 
Alice could speak agam. The Mock Turtle went on. 

"We had the best of educations — in fact, we went to 
school every day." 

"I've been to a day-school, too," said Alice; "you 
needn't be so proud as all tliat." 

"With extras?" asked the Mock Turtle a little anx- 
iously. 

"Yes," said Alice, "wo learned French and nmsic." 

"And washing?" said tlie Mock Turtle. 

"Certainly not!" said Alice indignantly. 

"Ah! Then yours wasn't a really good school," said 
the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. "Now at ours 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 155 

they had at the end of the bill, 'French, music, and wash- 
ing — extra.'" 

"You couldn't have wanted it much," said Alice; "liv- 
ing at the bottom of the sea." 

"I couldn't afford to learn it," said the Mock Turtle 
with a sigh. "I only took the regular course." 

"What was that.^^" inquired Alice. 

"Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with," the 
Mock Turtle replied; "and then the different branches 
of Arithmetic — Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and 
Derision." 

"I never heard of 'Uglification'," Alice ventured to say. 
"What is it.?" 

The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. 
"Never heard of Uglifying!" it exclaimed. "You know 
what to beautify is, I suppose.^^" 

"Yes," said Alice, doubtfully: "it means — to make — 
anything — prettier. ' ' 

"Well, then," the Gryphon went on, "if you don't know 
what to uglify is you are a simpleton." 

Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions 
about it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said, 
"What else had you to learn.?" 

"Well, there was Mystery," the Mock Turtle replied, 
counting off the subjects on his flappers. 

"Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography; 
then Drawlmg — the Drawling-master was an old conger- 
eel, that used to come once a week: he taught us Drawl- 
ing, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils." 

"What was that like?" said Alice. 

"Well, I can't show it you, myself," the Mock Turtle 
said: "I'm too stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it." 

"Hadn't time," said the Gryphon: "I went to the 
Classical master, though. He was an old crab, he was." 

"I never went to him," the Mock Turtle said with a 
sigh: "he taught Laughing and Grief, they used to 
say." 



156 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 ] 



"So he did, so he did," said the Grj'phon, sighing in his 
turn, and both creatures hid their faces in their paws. 

"And how many hours a day did you do lessons?" said 
AHce, in a hurry to change the subject. 

"Ten hours the first day," said the Mock Turtle: "nine 
the next, and so on." 

"What a curious plan!" exclaimed Alice. 

"That's the reason they're called lessons," the Gryphon 
remarked: "because they lessen from day to day." 

This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it 
over a little before she made her next remark. "Then 
the eleventh day must have been a holiday?" 

"Of course it was," said the Mock Turtle. 

"And how did you manage on the twelfth?" Alice went 
on eagerly. 

"That's enough about lessons," the Gryphon inter- 
rupted in a very decided tone; "tell her something about 
the games now."^ 

Lewis Carroll: Alice s Adventures in Wonderland. 



Do this in 
spare 



Every one may have an opportunity to tell a story 
in this lesson. You may draw numbers for your 
turn to speak. 

This lesson will be so informal that any detailed 
criticism would be out of place. At the close of the 
lesson the class may decide (1) which story was the 
most amusing, and (2) who told his story in the best 
way. 

'I'hc appreciation of real humor is something worth 
cultivating, because a good laugh will carry you 
successfully through many of the petty annoyances 
and irritations of the day. You would probably 
enjoy making a class scrapbook of jokes. The book 
may be merely a fiv(»-cent notebook into which the 

'By pcnnission of the Macmillan Company. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 157 

clippings contributed by the pupils are pasted for 
future reading. If your class decides to make such 
a book, appoint a committee to take charge of the 
jokes submitted. The committee should act as 
judges to reject stories that are unpleasant because 
they refer to particular nationalities, or that contain 
coarse wording or thought. There is so much real 
fun in current magazines and papers that only the 
best need be accepted. 

59 

A Partnership Story 

If your teacher feels that the class can spare the Try this if 
time, try this just for the novelty of it. Work out ^^" ^*^ 
cooperatively the general outline of a story, deciding 
also upon the setting and the characters. Then 
divide into groups with as m.any pupils in a group 
as there are main incidents in the story. Let each 
pupil in the group write out one part of the story 
without any examination of the work of his associates, 
everyone writing at the same time. When the parts 
are finished, fasten all the papers together to form 
a connected narrative. The composite story will be 
a curiosity at least. The different conceptions of the 
characters and the variety in the language styles 
will be most interesting. 

To make the completed story a success, it will be 
necessary for you and all your associates to keep 
closely to the outlined order of events, because any 
change on the part of a single member of the group 
will create confusion and spoil the effect of the whole. 



158 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

\Mien your group has made the final copy of its 
story, you may trade stories with another group. 
You will be interested to see how their version differs 
from yours, and to guess the authorship of the various 
parts. 



CHAPTER V 

60 

How TO Study 

In your English class this year you have talked J^ead 
about several very important topics but not about ^ " ^ 
any so important as this one, "How to Study." If 
you know how to study, you are sure to succeed in 
school. If you know how to study, you have learned 
the biggest thing which school has to teach you. The 
most important thing is that you shall know how to 
find and where to find facts when you want them and 
that you shall know how to use the facts when you 
have found them. True study is just this process of 
finding the facts which are needed and making use 
of them. 

Perhaps you have not thought of the storekeeper 
or the lawyer or the machinist as studying, but if you 
will reflect a moment you will find that all the more 
desirable occupations call constantly for study. For 
the most part, the better paid the work is, the more 
study is involved. 

Since this is such an important matter, it will be Find your 
well for you to talk it over in class. You will find ^'^ ^^ 
this easier if you think of studying your history or 
geography lesson, of solving a problem in mathemat- 
ics, or of going into the library for information which 

I Book 1 1 159 



160 ENGLISH IN SE^^CE [ Bool< 1 ] 

you need in making a box kite or installing an ama- 
teur telephone. Here are some specific topics which 
it will be appropriate to discuss: How to Study a 
History Lesson, How to Learn a Poem, How to 
Prepare an Oral Theme, How to Work up a Report 
in the Library, How to Study an Arithmetic Lesson, 
How to Study for Recitation, How to Work Out 
a Mechanical Problem. Before anyone chooses a 
topic upon which to report, try to add to this list by 
class discussion. Then let each pupil choose from 
the list a topic which he wishes to talk about. 
Study Prepare to present to the class your idea of how 

to study the subject or solve the kind of problem 
which you have chosen. Think out clearly just 
what you would do in the given study situation. 
List the steps on paper. Then practise what you will 
say to make your idea of the process clear to your 
classmates. 

If you finish your preparation before the others., 
read the following extract from Dewey's How We 
Think^ and see whether you can explain its meaning 
in relation to study. 

A man traveling in an unfamiliar region comes to a 
branching of the roads. Having no sure knowledge to fall 
back upon, he is brought to a standstill of hesitation and 
suspense. \Miich road is right? And how shall per- 
plexity be resolved.^ There are but two alternatives: he 
nuist either blindly and arbitrarily take his course, trusting 
to luck for the outcome, or he must discover grounds for 
the conclusion that a given road is right. Any attempt 
to decide the matter by thinking will involve inquiry into 
other facts, whether brought out by memory or by further 

'By permission of the publishers, D. C. Heath and Company. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 161 

observation, or by both. The perplexed wayfarer must 
carefully scrutinize what is before him and he must cudgel 
his memory. He looks for evidence that will support 
belief in favor of either of the roads — ^for evidence that 
will weight down one suggestion. He may climb a tree; 
he may go first in this direction, then in that, looking, in 
either case, for signs, clues, indications. He wants some- 
thing in the nature of a signboard or a map, and his re- 
flection is aimed at the discovery of facts that will serve 
this purpose. . . . Thinking begins in what may 
fairly enough be called Si forked road situation. 



This discussion may be conducted as a class meet- Discus 

your 
topics 



ing with a chairman and secretary in charge. A ^^"^ 



speaker may present his views whenever he obtains 
recognition from the chair. The secretary may re- 
cord the name of each speaker and the general topic 
of his speech. 

When all the speeches have been heard the class 
will decide by motion and vote which how-to-study 
topic shall be made the subject of further investiga- 
tion and discussion. 

After the meeting your chairman will discuss the Judge the 
various speeches from the standpoint of clearness of *^^^^ ^^ 
presentation and excellence of form. Make particu- 
lar note of his comments so that your work at the 
next meeting may show improvement. 

61 

A Business Meeting 

At your last class meeting, you decided to conduct Find your 
a further investigation of some particular how-to- ^^^ ^^ 
study problem such as "How to Study Geography" 



162 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

or "How to Solve Problems in Arithmetic." To- 
day you will have an opportunity to present your 
views upon this topic. The meeting should result 
in the adoption by the class of a specific set of guiding 
rules or steps of study; so you must have something 
quite definite to present. 

It will be best to plan out in wTiting the steps 
which you consider necessary to the study process 
you are considering. Have these in good form to 
read to the class, but prepare yourself also to argue 
in their behalf and to persuade your classmates to 
adopt the suggestions j^ou present. 

If you finish before the others, examine the follow- 
ing how^-to-study directions. Then try to invent 
some clever form of wording for your o\\ti directions 
so that they will attract the attention of the other 
pupils. 



How-to-Study Directions for Written 
Composition 



The ''Write' Procedure 





( 


1. 


Collect your material 
See 
Converse 


Ready! 


) 




Read 

Think 




\ 


o 


Make an outline (pencil) 




) 


8. 


Write a first draft (pencil) 


Get Set! 


\ 


4. 


Read and correct your first 
draft 


Go! 


i 


5. 
(). 


Make a finished copy (ink) 
Read your final copy 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 163 

How-to-Study Directions for Oral Composition 

C ollect your thoughts 
O uthne 
P ractise 
E nd well 
with your oral English difficulties 

After the meeting is called to order by the chair- Holdyour 
man, members may present their opinions as to the ^^^ *^^ 
best method of studying the subject chosen. Any 
series of study steps offered should be freely dis- 
cussed by the class, each speaker waiting only for 
recognition by the chair. 

At the close of the meeting a definite set of practical 
study directions should be accepted by vote of the 
class. These may be the study rules prepared by 
some individual or they may be the cooperative 
work of the class after various speakers have pre- 
sented their ideas upon the subject. The chairman 
should then appoint a committee to arrange for the 
preparation of typewritten or mimeographed copies 
of the directions adopted by the class. (When these 
copies are ready each member of the class should 
receive one to be pasted inside the cover of the 
appropriate textbook or in a notebook.) 

The best judgment upon the excellence of the work judge the 
will be the choice of directions made by vote of the ^P^^^^^^ 
class. Naturally those who make the best speeches 
will be the most persuasive and will succeed in having 
some of their directions adopted. In addition to this 
indirect judgment of your work, your teacher will of- 
fer criticisms and suggestions after the meeting is over. 



164 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Complete If it seems desirable, other meetings of this kind 
taking ^^^Y be held to consider other study problems. 

62 

More Adjectives and Adverbs 

^^^h°^^ In your study of adjectives and adverbs the other 
day you found that modifiers of the verbs are ad- 
verbs, and that words in the predicate describing the 
subject are adjectives. This rule is perfectly sound 
so far as it goes, but the problem in most of the 
following sentences is an entirely different one. Try 
to decide which of the two forms in each of the 
sentences is the correct one. 

1. John and Mary were (real — really) glad to see us. 

2. Our visit was a (real — really) surprise. 

3. I (sure — surely) will be there at eight o'clock. 

4. In the sprints at any rate Jack is a (sure — surely) 

winner. 

5. Even twins may be (considerable — considerably) 

different. 

6. (Artificial — artificially) colored jellies must be so 

labeled. 

7. Henry Atkins oftered a (remarkable — remarkably) 

lii^h price for my old ear. 

8. Martin Ryan also made a (suri)rising — surprisingly) 

lii^'li })i(l. 

9. The cartoon was drawn (astonishing — astonish- 

ingly) well. 
10. Wr turn the parts out (absolute — absolutely) aecord- 
in<^' to the specifications. 

studu If members of I he class can agree which forms are 

toijithcr (.()rp(.(.(, J),, I in one lisl those sentences in wliieli the 

forms in (lueslion seem to you to be ach'erbs, and in 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 165 

another list those in which they seem to be adjectives. 
Is there any Hkeness among the words modified by 
the forms you have called adjectives? Are they 
nouns, verbs, pronouns, or adverbs? Try to find 
words of this sort modified by adverbs. Now deter- 
mine what the adverbs in the other column modify. 
If you find this difiicult, the fifth and ninth sentences 
will be good ones to take first. 

Add some sentences of your own containing adjec- 
tives and adverbs. Do the adjectives seem to modify 
nouns, as do those in the sentences here? What do 
the adverbs modify? 

Are nouns ever modified by anything but adjec- 
tives? Do adjectives ever modify anything but 
nouns? Frame a statement which will divide mod- 
ifiers into two classes — adjectives and adverbs. 

Test your rule by applying it to the sentences on a 
page of any book in the hands of all the pupils. Com- 
pare your rule with the statements in grammars on 
the teacher's desk or from the library. If your state- 
ment differs from those in the books, do they all mean 
the same thing? Choose the simplest and most exact 
statement and commit it to memory. 

In these sentences name the adjectives and the 
nouns or pronouns they modify or describe : 

1. Many men are of many minds. 

2. Delicious puddings are frequently made of left-over 

fruits, bread, and cake. 

3. A boy's mother is his best friend; sometimes she is 

the only one he has. 

4. The better suit is the cheaper suit even at a higher 

price. 



IGG ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

5. The game of flinch is very tiresome. 

6. A long ride on a cold day is not especially pleasant. 

7. You have given us a very vivid description of some 

very queer people. 

8. The longest railroad bridge in China was built by an 

American firm. 

9. Our house is white; once it was green, but we 

painted it white last year. 

10. The best candy in town is sold by that little old 

man in the first stall of the city market. 

11. At the urgent request of the French government 

we sent five men to take part in this scientific ex- 
pedition. 

In the following sentences point out the adverbs, 
tell what words they modify, and what parts of 
speech these modified words are: 

1. Of course we are extremely sorry about the mis- 

take. 

2. Any business firm deeply regrets its own short- 

comings. 

3. Hereafter, we shall try very hard to avoid such 

dangerously narrow roads. 

4. Carefully prepared outlines certainly help a speaker 

to keep to his topic. 

5. Surely you arc not going now.'' 

6. I am much more worried about your spelling than 

about your granunar. 

7. The least famous })ran(ls freciuently sell highest. 

8. The extremely fast trains must be very carefully 

inspected before each trip. 

9. At seventy miles an liour a train is travelling dan- 

gerously fast. 

10. At the same speed ;in aeroplane is going only moder- 

ately fast. 

11. The committee carefully selected all the bright- 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 167 

colored costumes, and only grudgingly filled out 
the number with these duller ones. 
12. He promised positively that he would wrap it very 
carefully and would ship it immediately by express. 

In the blanks in these sentences supply as many 
correct adjectives or adverbs as you can think of 
quickly. Tell whether each word you supply is an 
adjective or an adverb. 

1 you are not. . . .worried by these threats. 

2. Charlotte is a. . . .girl, but Henry is the. . . .student. 

3. All the girls were dressed as. . . .as could be in. . . . 

old clothes. 

4. If you do not master it. . . .now, later you will. . . . 

regret your carelessness. 

5. The dinner smells. . . .to me. 

6. This point is only. . . .well presented. 

7 seasoned food is not .... healthful. 

8. Mary has kept house 

9. This edge should be hemmed most 

10. Please be. . . .at eight o'clock with. . . .thought-out 

plans for our campaign. 

11. Harwell's macaroni is. . . .made by. . . .Americans. 

12. Glenn talks so. . . .that all the neighbors hear him. 

13. Try to speak more .... if you wish us to listen. 

14. The policeman handled the thief 

15. Eva looked in her dress. 

63 

Useful and Harmful Plants 

Make your next oral composition also a practical Bead 
botany lesson. The most useful thing for us to know ^^^^^^v 
about plants is the character of the varieties, useful 
and harmful, which grow in our gardens. You will 



168 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

be surprised at the number of different weeds which 
you can find in any garden patch, and you will 
find it very interesting to hear about the damage 
each of these weeds does. On the other hand, there 
are many interesting things to be learned about the 
useful house and garden plants. 
Find your Plan to tell about some weed and the damage it 

problem i i i 

does or about some house plant or garden plant and 
its particular value. It will be best if you tell today 
so far as you can what plant you will talk about to- 
morrow. This will prevent several from taking the 
same common one. Some of you will have to go 
home, of course, and hunt up new weeds or flowers or 
vegetables with which you were not acquainted be- 
fore, and probably cannot tell until tomorrow what 
you will talk about. The library may prove as good 
a hunting ground as the garden. Experienced gar- 
deners can and will give you valuable information if 
you ask them to do so. 

Collect all the material upon your subject that 
you can find and bring it to school tomorrow. Your 
teacher will allow you a study period to prepare your 
talk. 
Studi/ Read your material carefully, taking notes uj)on 

important points, or, if your subject is one that re- 
quires only thought on your part, jot down your 
main ideas. Then practise your talk. Plan to use 
some new words that are particularly suitable to your 
topic, and be sure to arrange an effective ending. 

If you finish befon^ the others, read the following 
article. AMien you have given it one reading, see 
whether you can explain it in your own words. If 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 169 

you have only vague ideas about its content read it 
again. 

Juggling with Plants^ 

It has come to pass that the stepmother tree has been 
induced to take into her lap the weakling of the plant 
world. The small plant of which she is not the mother 
has been bound to ber breast. The vigor of her strong 
limbs has been diverted into the spindling stalk. That 
stalk has grown prodigiously and accomplished in two 
years what formerly took eight. 

Such is one of the recent accomplishments of the De- 
partment of Agriculture. The men who juggle with living 
plants and make them do things of which nature never 
dreamed, have just accomplished the inarch, the most ad- 
vanced thing in plant culture. It is to plant culture what 
the transposing of human organs is to surgery. It has 
proven itself in the last few years, particularly in the work 
of developing new citrous fruits that are neither lemons 
nor oranges nor grapefruit. 

Take for example the finger lime of Australia. This is 
an exceedingly rare plant. A few years ago it had not a 
representative in America. About that time somebody 
sent three seeds of the finger lime to the Department of 
Agriculture. These were planted immediately and all 
grew. Being of the lemon family, the scientific growers 
knew that it would require eight years for the finger lime 
to come into bearing under normal conditions. Eight 
years is a long time to wait, in an experiment. 

Just at this time the new method of diverting the vigor 
of other trees into a seedling was in the course of being es- 
tablished. One of the finger lime seedlings was inarched 
upon a vigorous two-year-old lemon tree. All the strength 
of that tree was diverted into the slender shoot. In two 
years in the hothouse it had ripened its fruit and the scien- 



*By permission of Frederick A. Stokes Co. 



170 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Bookl] 

tists were able to judge of its quality. Further, they were 
supplied with additional seeds with which to start new 
generations of plants. 



The inarch is accomplished in this way: The seedling 
is grown naturally until it is three or four weeks old. It is 
a wee little plant of but four or six leaves. Nature has 
stipulated that many years shall pass before it comes to 
maturity, blossoms, and bears fruit. Under the inarch 
process this stripling is taken up with a ball of earth about 
its roots sufficient to maintain its life for a few weeks. 
Plant and earth are transferred to a stalwart, vigorous tree 
of a kindred species. This tree may be two or three years 
old. Its roots are deep. It is supplying sustenance for a 
top that is a hundred times as large as the seedling. 

This is known as the stepmother tree. The outer bark 
is scraped from the side of it a foot above the ground. 
Similarly, the outer bark is scraped from the seedhng. 
The two wounds are bound together with soft cloth bands. 
The ball of dirt on the root of the seedling is bound to the 
side of the nurse tree. In two or three weeks the two trees 
will have grown together. The dirt from the roots of the 
seedling may be removed. It is now drawing its vigor 
from its stepmollicr. Eventually its roots are cut oti" 
smoothly below the point of union. The nurse tree has 
taken the little orphan unto itself. 

But this is not the end. After the union is thoroughly 
established the plant juggler cuts the top off the great 
vigorous nurse tree. Then the nourishment that was go- 
ing into its top is diverted to the single small stem; and its 
roots, which have been establishing themselves deep in the 
soil for years, send their vigor into the small seedling. The 
result is such growth as nature never knew. 'J'he twig 
has such an abundance of nourishment that it vents some 
of it in fruiting before its time; and this early fruit is 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 171 

strong and vigorous, showing the utmost possibihties of 
the tree. 

— William Atherton Du Puy: Uncle Sam — Wonder Worker. 

In carrying out this lesson consider yourselves an Give your 
association of gardeners meeting in convention, and ^^^^^ 
continuing your sessions until everyone has had a 
chance to talk. Insist, just as regular gardeners 
would, that every speaker shall make you under- 
stand. Ask any questions which are necessary. It 
would be well to have a chairman and secretary in 
charge of the meetings. 

Appoint a committee of judges to pass upon the Judge the 
work of the speakers. They may listen to each * 
speaker as if they were the program committee of 
another association of gardeners looking for speakers 
to invite to their convention. At the close of each 
session they will tell what they think of the speakers 
they have heard that day, explaining why they think 
each one excellent, ordinary, or poor. 

64 

Did any of the reports upon the weeds and useful Study 
plants run something like this? 

The Button Weed 

Button weed is very common and troublesome. It 
grows from two to four feet high. When viewed from 
above, its seed-pod looks very much like a button. It 
comes up in cultivated ground and is an especial nuisance 
in corn fields. It has a single tap root and can endure 
considerable drouth and heat. It has large velvety elo- 
phant's-ear leaves, and is therefore sometimes called velvet 



172 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

weed. It does not grow much in meadows. If it were 
not such a bother, shading the young corn with its large 
leaves, we should think its tall, straight stem and large, 
graceful leaves were really pretty. 



It is hard to tell whether this report is weakened 
more by the omission of needed ideas or by the use of 
unnecessary details. Look it over again to deter- 
mine what should be stricken out and what new ideas 
should be inserted. Try to state the latter clearly 
to yourself before you read further. 

The outlines which you have been using for your 
letter-wTiting and story-telling should have taught 
you — if you did not already know — the value of 
orderliness. If you should try to outline this brief 
account of the button weed you would find it impossi- 
ble, because the ideas relating to its appearance are 
scattered throughout the theme, and the reasons for 
the farmers' dislike are not gathered in any one 
place. Try to rearrange and complete it so as to 
make a satisfactory short article. 
Di.9ru.ss in Does it make any difference in what order you 
take up the various phases of such a topic as this.^ 
Is it as well to state the harm done by the button 
weed, then its appearance, and lastly its means of 
reproduction as it would be to state first how it looks, 
s(H?ond how it reproduces, and third why farmers 
dislike it? Perhaps you will find that there is a 
better order yet. In this, and in vvvry ex])lanation 
or description, you will find that there are several 
possible orders, of which one seems clearly the best. 
You will ])r()bably not find it worth while to search 



Bookl 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



173 



for any rule concerning what this order shall be; 
usually it is easily determined by a careful applica- 
tion of common sense. 



65 



THE YOUNG AMERICAN MAGAZINE 
FINANCIAL PAGE 

Dear Boys and Girls : 

I have good news for you. The American 
Bankers' Association has given me a fund from 
which to offer prizes for explanations of good 
ways in which boys and girls can save money. 
Each week for the next six months there will be a 
first prize of $5.00 for the best explanation of the 
way in which a boy or girl has saved or can save 
money, a second prize of $3.00, and a third prize 
of $2.00. 

In awarding the prizes, I shall consider (1) 
whether the plan proposed is practical, (2) 
whether it could be used by many or only a few, 
(3) whether it would make a large saving or only 
a small one, and (4) whether the explanation is 
clear and in correct form. 

Your explanations must not contain more than 
two hundred words. Please write them in the 
form of letters addressed to me in care of The 
Young American Magazine, Garden City, N. Y. 

Who will be the winners this first week? 
Expectantly yours, 

R. U. Thrifty. 



Read 
silently 



174 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

Find your Of course you are going to try. The most ini- 
^'^^ ^'" portaut thing is to get a good idea, for three of the 
four points upon which your letter is to be judged 
concern the idea. To make the account clear and 
interesting you will be careful of the order in which 
you present the details, and you will present as many 
details — so far as the 200-word limit will permit — as 
are necessary to make the idea vivid. Take a week 
to think out your plan. 
Write This period will be given you to write your explana- 

tion. Before you begin re-read the letter of R. U. 
Thrifty in order that you may have all the conditions 
of the contest in mind. If you have a clever thrift 
idea, don't spoil it with a poor dress. Follow the 
*' Write Procedure." (See page 1G2.) 

When your paper entirely satisfies \^ou, spend what- 
ever time is left reading the following paragraphs. 
See if you can use in original sentences the words 
that are italicized. I se your dictionary to find 
meanings if necessary. Perhaps there will be space 
at the blackboard to write your sentences. 

Someone has said that "money is crystallized labor." 
This is true hocausc* the value of <::()1(1 money is measured 
by the labor in minin<^ K<>ld. Every ounce of gold repre- 
sents just so much labor. Hence, a dollar may be truly 
said to bo a "unit of labor." This is the reason why one 
sliould iiave ^reat respect for money: \is intrinsic yn\uQ lies 
in the labor tliat someone has put into it. Ernest (i. Draper 
says, ** If one does not liave tiie ri<^ht rej^ard for the value 
of m()n(\v or the imporlanec of thrift in busine.ss relations, 
he will !)(' Ji(in(lic(ij)j)('(l just so nuicli in stri\in^' toward 
success." 

Ill a business sense, money may be said to be the mcas- 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 175 

ure of character as well as of values. A man is judged not 
only by how much money he makes but by how he makes 
it and how he spends it. The truly great business man 
strives to make money, not in order to pile up millions, 
but because by making his business more successful he con- 
tributes more to the welfare and happiness of his employees, 
of his community, and of his country. Henry Ford real- 
ized this when he said, "By thrift we do not mean the 
hoarding of money but the intelligent saving and investing 
ol it- — Bexell and Nichols: First Lessons in Business} 

Select someone to act as R. U. Thrifty and judge Judge the 
the papers. This person might be a bright pupil 
from an advanced grade or one of your own members 
in whose judgment you have confidence. Paper 
money prizes may be awarded, and as each prize 
is presented, R. U. Thrifty should read the winning 
paper and comment upon its points of excellence. 
Your teacher will also examine the papers and classify 
them as excellent, satisfactory, or fair. If yours is 
not quite up to standard, be sure to find out why it is 
not, so that your next paper may show improvement. 

66 

Favorites 

The other day as Charley and Arthur were talking, I Read 
heard Charley say, "I like to play dominoes better than silently 
almost anything else." 

Arthur shook his head and Charley went on, "You don't 
have to do anything when you play dominoes. You can 
just sit still and you don't have to remember. All you 
have to do is to look to see what domino is on the end and 
see whether you have one to match it. If you haven't, of 

^ By permission of the publishers, J. B. Lippincott Company. 



176 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

course you have to draw; but that doesn't take any think- 
ing. It helps to pass the time away when there isn't any 
school work to do and I haven't any money to go to the 
movies." 

I could see that Arthur was getting more and more dis- 
gusted, until he finally said, "Aw, shucks! I don't like 
games where you don't have anything to do. When I 
don't want to do anything, I just lie down and go to sleep. 
\Yhen I am awake, I want to have some fun. Football is 
about the best game there is, because in football you have 
to do something all the time. It is a whole lot more fun 
to take the ball under your arm and try to get past the 
other fellows than it is just to sit and fumble some little old 
pieces of wood. You use your mind m hen you play foot- 
ball, too, because you have to guess what the other fellow 
is going to do and then yourself try to do something he 
won't expect. That is what I call fun — a chance to run 
and push and dodge and outguess the other fellow." 

Just then Harriet, who had been sitting near, interrupted: 
"Oh, you boys are always talking about games. Don't 
you ever think about anything else except what you like? 
x\s if the world was made up of your likes I " 

Then Arthur said, "Come on, Sis! What is it you want 
to say — something that you like?" 

At first I thought Harriet was going to pout, but shortly 
she said, "Yes, I'll tell you what I like. 1 like the latest 
book by Mrs. Austin. It is a story of a girl of the time of 
the American Revolution and all the exciting times she had 
when the Redcoats came to her house. She was a real 
American and was always getting into trouble by making 
remarks about the liritish. Of course, she was just a girl 

and they couldn't do anything very bad to her, but " 

Just then the bell for school rang and Harriet did not have 
time to finish her story. 

Find your Wliat woiild vou liavc suld if you IkkI been there? 
Would you have agreed with Arthur or with Charley, 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 177 

or do you like some other games better than either 
football or dominoes? Possibly you would be like 
Harriet, more interested in something else than in 
games, and would turn the conversation to books or 
movie actors or something to eat. 

Plan to tell in conversational style about your 
favorite pastime. 

It would be wise to make an outline of your ideas. Study 
Are you going to tell all you know about your favor- 
ite .^^ Will you give one reason for your preference, or 
more.^^ What arrangement of your ideas will be most 
effective? Practise explaining your preference just 
as you have practised telling stories to yourself. 
Be sure to end well. 

If you finish your rehearsal before the others, read 
in any reference book at hand all that you can find 
about any game not common in your community — 
e. g., squash, battledore and shuttlecock, lacrosse, 
cricket, pushball,- hare and hounds, or chess; or, if 
you prefer, look up the history of your favorite 
game. 

This "exchange of opinions" lesson may, if you State your 

.11 .1 • p •• opinions 

Wish, be organized as a series oi group conversations. 
Three boys and two girls may form a group and carry 
on before the class a conversation like the one you 
have just read. When one group has concluded, an- 
other group may present opinions in the same way. 

After each group has finished its conversation. Judge the 
criticism both favorable and unfavorable may be ^^*"^^"^ 
offered freely by the other members of the class. 
As the various groups talk, be on the watch for new 
and interesting words. 



CHAPTER Yl 

67 

I Wonder 

Read I have wondered for a long time how the carburetor 

^ in an automobile works. When I hear men talk 
about their cars I understand all right until some- 
one mentions the carburetor, but then I am lost. I 
know that they put gasoline into the tank, that it 
goes through a pipe to the carburetor, through it, 
and then into the cylinder, and that in the cylinder 
it is an explosive mixture of air and gas. What I 
don't know is how the carburetor is made and how 
it changes the gasoline into gas. 

Fincnjnur There are things as common as this which ijou 
would like to know, I suppose. No matter how 
bright you are, you cannot know all the interesting 
things that there are even in your everyday life. 
Wouldn't it be a good plan for you to write out a 
Cjuestion about sometlu'ng which interests and puzzles 
you and let one of your classmates either volunteer 
or be assigned to answer you a day or two later? 

Discuss You will need to be very careful to make clear just 

what it is that you want to know and just how much 
you already know about the subject. Do not pur- 
posely ask about something which will r(Mjuii-e a long 
time to explain or about anything which can be ex- 

178 I iiook 1 1 



problem 



rlufi 



in Class 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 179 

plained only by means of very difficult principles of 
science. For instance, do not ask how we know how 
far away the North Star is, because that explanation 
involves principles of mathematics which you 
wouldn't understand even if your classmate could 
state them. Do not ask for a detailed account of the 
manufacture of the filaments for electric lights 
because that is a very long process. Of course, in 
asking apparently simple questions, you may ac- 
cidentally bring up some subject which is too diffi- 
cult, but do not do so purposely. 

What is the order which I used in my inquiry about 
the carburetor .f^ Is it a good one.^ Why or why not.^ 
Inquiries like this are frequently hard to understand 
because the statements are not well ordered. Try 
to ask your question so that you will not need to re- 
peat or to explain further. 

Write out your inquiry, including any direct state- Ash your 
ment necessary to make very clear just what it is you 
wish to be told. The teacher will read the questions 
aloud one at a time, marking on each the name of the 
person volunteering to answer it, and laying aside 
those for which there are no volunteers. When the 
end of the list is reached the questions laid aside 
(excepting any which the teacher considers too diffi- 
cult) will be assigned by lot to the pupils who are 
without assignments. Any discarded ones may be 
replaced by new ones supplied by class or teacher. 

It is understood that two days will be allowed for 
the preparation of the answers, unless a special ar- 
rangement for a longer time is made. „. , 

Ji . , . Find your 

You are preparmg to explam to some classmate problem 



180 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

something that he wants to know but does not under- 
stand. You need to remember just what he told you 
he does know and just what it is he wants to find out. 
Don't waste time going over what he knows, but be 
sure not to leave out something which he needs to be 
told in order to understand the main point he wanted. 
Study This explanation of the carburetor has been offered 

me: 

The Carburetor 

The carburetor is essentially a cup-shaped vessel into 
which the gasoline is fed from the tank. The gasoline 
stands in this vessel. Air enters from below, and, passing 
up through the gasoline, becomes saturated with gasoline 
vapor or "gas." This gas-saturated air, which is highly 
explosive, passes through a pipe to the cylinder, where it is 
ignited by the spark. 

The explanation is, so far as I know, correct. It is 
orderly, and the sentences are clear; yet I do not 
quite understand. It doesn't tell me wliy the air 
comes in, why gasoline does not run out the hole the 
air enters, how deep the gasoline is. This incom- 
plete account certainly enlightens me, but leaves me 
no more satisfied than before. In some cases similar 
omissions may cause the reader or hearer to get en- 
tirely wrong ideas. 

"^'ou already have the facts in mind concerning the 
particular question which you are to answer. Now 
plan to give a clear, logical presentation of these facts. 
Outline the main points in the order in which they 
will be most understandable, choose your words with 
care, and end well. Think through your explanation 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 181 

from beginning to end, and as soon as you have re- 
hearsed it, ask yourself all the questions that seem to 
occur naturally about the topic. Then rehearse your 
explanation again. 

If there is time when your talk is well prepared, try 
this test. The words in the following list are taken 
from a book for boys and girls describing modern in- 
ventions. They are not words which are useful only 
to the mechanic or the inventor, but words everyone 
should know. See what percentage of these words 
you understand and can use intelligently. After you 
have given yourself a rating in per cent on your knowl- 
edge of the words, look in the dictionary for the 
meanings of any words that are unknown to you. 



1. 


suction 


14. 


reverse 


2. 

3. 


gauge 
derrick 


15. 
16. 


propeller 
aerial 


4. 


fumes 


17. 


circuit 


5. 


fluid 


18. 


coil 


6. 

7. 


vapor 
vibration 


19. 
20. 


expansion 
contraction 


8. 
9. 


laboratory 
lever 


21. 

22. 


volatile 
diameter 


10. 


piston 


23. 


circumference 


11. 
12. 


dirigible 
inflammable 


24. 
25. 


perforation 
statistics 


13. 


automatic 







Several oral English periods will probably have to Answer 
be allowed for this lesson so that every pupil may ^l^gsi^om 
have an opportunity to present what he has prepared 
in answer to his question. A class chairman may be 



ise ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

chosen to read the questions and call upon the 
speakers. As the purpose of this period is not only 
to practice explaining but also to give real infor- 
mation, the audience may question each speaker 
freely at the close of his report. 
Judge the The succcss of the explanations w^ll be determined 
by the ease with which they are understood by the 
questioners. Every time that the original questioner 
says, "I don't understand," a point will be scored 
against the one who is explaining. The speakers 
who make their explanations perfectly clear to the 
audience may be rated excellent. 

68 

Giving Orders 
Find your jf y^^^ think you cau explain anvthing which vou 

problem ' •, * \ " ' . 

understand so that other people will understand it, 
here is your chance to test yourself. In class you 
will have an opportunity to give directions for the 
playing of any simple parlor game. Members of 
your class will bo assigned to follow your directions. 
You can judge by what they do whether they have 
understood correctly. If they know they do not 
understand, they will ask you questions. 

To make this j)lan work smoothly, choose a game 
which you think some, at least, of the other boys and 
girls will not know liow to j)lay, and if any material — 
cards or counters, for example — is required for your 
game, bring it with you. 
Study Success in this practical but really difficult ex- 

planation depends u}K)n orderliness and complete- 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 183 

ness. The use of simple sentences will make it 
easier for the players to comprehend your directions 
the first time you give them. Practice silently what 
you are going to say. Then ask yourself questions 
about the playing of the game and rehearse again. 
If you have any time left when your explanation is 
prepared, read these "correct speech" games and 
decide upon the one which you consider most inter- 
esting. Perhaps your teacher will allow the class to 
play the game you have chosen for a few minutes at 
the close of the lesson. 



Please May I Borrow 

May I instead of Can I — Have no instead of Haven't got no. 
The pupil who is it leaves the room. The others choose 
some object in the room. The one who is it returns and 
says to any member of the class, "Please may I borrow 
your pencil (or any other object), James?" If the object 
thus asked for is not the one chosen by the class James 
responds, *T have no pencil.'* The person who is it con- 
tinues to ask the pupils for various objects until he hits 
upon the right one, whereupon the answer is given, "Yes, 
you may borrow my. . . ." 

Observation 
/ saw, not I seen 

Fifteen or twenty small objects are placed on the 
teacher's desk and covered with a cloth. Each row of 
pupils constitutes a team. One delegate from each row 
comes forward and stands near the desk. The cloth is re- 



184 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

moved for fifteen seconds. Each pupil then takes a space 
at the board and writes in full: 

I saw a knife. 

I saw a pin. 

I saw an eraser, etc. 

One minute is allowed for the writing. The pupil having 
the longest list receives a point for his row. Other pupils 
representing the rows then come forward. The articles 
under the cloth may be changed whenever they become 
too familiar to the observers. The row having the largest 
number of points at the close of the game wins. 

Whom Do You Mean 

Correct use of who and whom 

(This game is a variation of the one on page 100. You 
may choose the other form of it if you prefer.) 

The class is divided into two teams. Player 1 of Team 
A says, "I am thinking of a great man." Player 1 of Team 
B says, "Whojn do you mean?" Player 1 of Team A re- 
sponds, "I am thinking of the man who invented the in- 
candescent bulb." Player 1 of Team B says, "Is it Edison 
whom you mean.^" Player 1 of Team A answers, "Yes, it 
was Edison who invented the incandescent bulb." Team 
B scores a point for the right answer, and its second player 
then takes the lead. If the right name is not given, how- 
ev(^r. Team A scores and keeps the lead. If either player 
makes a granunatical error, his oj)ponent scores. 

I'.xplain AVluMi \i)\\v tum to c\j)lain a game comes, you may 

qamcs ^^^ as h'adcr and take entire charge of the class. Ask 

your teacher to call to llie front as many players as 

you need. Arrange them in any way rcciuired by 



directions 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 185 

the game, and then give all your directions at once. 
This will test your power to explain and the players' 
power to carry out directions. 

The chief test of excellence in giving explanations is Judge the 
this: Was the explanation clear .^ The audience may 
decide whether any mistakes made in playing the 
game are the fault of the one who explained it or the 
fault of the players in failing to do as they were told. 

Of course, any serious grammatical mistakes made 
by the speaker should receive attention at the close 
of his game. 

69 

Interesting Insects 



Because insects are small — at least most of them 
are — we are likely to forget all about them, but that Read 
is a great mistake. Many insects are very harmful, ^* ^^ ^ 
for they destroy crops and clothing and food and 
even buildings. Others are useful either because 
they destroy the harmful ones or because in some 
other way they assist the growth of plants. 

Insects are interesting, too, because there are more 
kinds of them than of animals, and many of them 
pass through several quite different forms during 
their lives. 

Prepare for some day next week a two- or three- 
minute talk upon an insect which is interesting for Find your 
some of the reasons just suggested. If you find ^^^ 
three minutes is not long enough to tell all about the 
subject you have in mind, take only some part of it — 
for instance, instead of trying to tell all about the 
army worm, you might tell either (1) why it is so 



180 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

destructive, or (2) ways in which the farmers fight 
this pest. x\sk 3'our teacher where to obtain refer- 
ence material. 

During the week collect pictures, clippings, library 
references, and any other material you can find about 
the insect you have chosen. Your teacher will then 
allow one or two study periods in school to prepare 
your talk. 

Do you remember the '*How to Study" directions 
for an oral English lesson.^ If you do not, turn to 
page 163 and read them carefully. Does this word 
help you to remember the steps of preparation? 

C 
O 
P 
E 

Work over the material for your talk following the 
order of these steps. 

AMien ^our story is well prepared, read the follow- 
ing article. After a single reading see if you can 
write the answers to these questions. You may use 
the blackboard if there is room. 

1. \\Tiat did Uncle Paul call the proverb about 
the spider.^ Do you agree with him? 

2. Of what use is the spider? 

3. What seems to you the most wonderful fact 
that Uncle Paul tells about the spider? 

Spiders^ 

One inornin^;. Mother Ainhroisinc was chopping herbs 
and cooked aj)plcs for a brood of little chickens hatched not 

'By permissioii of I lie ('ciitury ("oinpany. 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 187 

long before. A large gray spider, letting itself slide the 
length of its thread, descended from the ceiling to the 
good woman's shoulders. At sight of the creature with 
long velvety legs. Mother Ambroisine could not suppress 
a cry of fear, and, shaking her shoulder, made the insect 
fall, and crushed it under her foot. 

"Spider in the morning stands for mourning," said she 
to herself. At this instant Uncle Paul and Claire entered. 

"No, sir, it is not right," said Mother Ambroisine, "that 
we poor mortals should have so much useless trouble. 
Twelve little chickens are hatched out for us, bright as 
gold; and just as I am preparing them something to eat, 
a villainous spider falls on my shoulder." 

And Mother Ambroisine pointed with her finger at the 
crushed insect with its legs still trembling. 

"I do not see that those little chickens have anything 
to fear from the spider," remarked Uncle Paul. 

"Oh! nothing, sir: the horrid creature is dead. But you 
know the proverb: 'Spider in the morning, mourning; 
spider at night, delight.' Everybody knows that a spider 
seen in the morning is a sign of bad luck. Our little 
chickens are in danger; the cats will claw them. You'll 
see, sir, you'll see." 

Tears of emotion came to Mother Ambroisine 's eyes. 

"Put the little chickens in a safe place, watch the cats, 
and I will answer for the rest. The proverb of the spider 
is only a foolish prejudice," said Uncle Paul. 

Mother Ambroisine did not utter another word. She 
knew that Maltre Paul found a reason for everything, 
and on occasion was capable of pronouncing a eulogy on 
the spider. Claire, who saw this eulogy coming, ventured 
a question. 

"I know: in your eyes all animals, however hideous they 
may be, have excellent excuses to plead: all merit consider- 
ation; all play a part ordained by Providence; all are in- 
teresting to observe and to study. You are the advocate 
of the good God's creatures; you would plead for the toad. 



188 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 1 ] 

But permit your niece to see lliere only an impulse of your 
kind heart, and not the real truth. What could you say 
in praise of the spider, horrid beast, which is poisonous 
and disfigures the ceiling with its webs?" 

"What could I say? Much, my dear child, much. In 
the meantime, feed your httle chickens and beware of cats 
if you want to prove the spider proverb false." 

In the evening Mother Ambroisine, her large round 
spectacles on her nose, was knitting stockings. On her 
knees the cat slept and mingled its purring with the tick- 
tack of the needles. The children were waiting for the 
story of the spider. Their uncle began. 

"Which of you three can tell me what spiders do with 
their webs, those fine webs stretched in the corners of the 
granary or between two shrubs in the garden?" 

Emile spoke first. "It is their nest. Uncle, their house, 
their hiding place." 

"Hiding-place!" exclaimed Jules; "yes, I think it is 
more than that. One day I heard between the lilac 
branches, a little shrill noise — Ile-e-e-e-! A blue fly was 
entangled in a cobweb and trying to escape. It was the 
fly that was making the noise with its fluttering. A 
spider ran from the bottom of the silken funnel, seized the 
fly, and carried it ofl" to its hole, doubtless to eat it. Since 
then I have thought sj)iders' webs were hunting nets." 

"That is even so," said his uncle. "All si)iders live on 
live prey; they make continual war on flies, gnats, and 
other insects. If you fear mosciuitocs, those insullerable 
little insects that sting us at night until they bring blood, 
you must bless the spider, for it does its best to rid us of 
them. To catch game, a net is necessary. Now, the net 
to catch flies in their flight is a cloth woven with silk, 
which the spider itself produces. 

"In the lx)dy of the insect the silk\- mattir is, as with 
caterpillars, a sticky li(juid resembling glue or gum. As 
soon as it comes in contact with the air, this matter con- 
geals, hardens, and becomes a tlu'cad on wliich water has 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 189 

no effect. When the spider wants to spin, the silk liquid 
flows from four nipples, called spinnerets, placed at the 
end of the stomach. These nipples are pierced at their 
extremity by a number of holes, like the sprinkler of a 
watering-pot. The number of these holes for all the 
spinnerets is roughly reckoned as a thousand. Each one 
lets its tiny little jet of liquid flow, which hardens and be- 
comes thread; and from a thousand threads stuck together 
into one results the final thread employed by the spider. 
To designate something very fine there is no better term 
of comparison than the spider's thread. It is so delicate, 
in fact, that it can only just be seen. Our silk threads, 
those of the finest textures, are cables in comparison, 
cables of two, three, four strands, while this one, in its 
unequaled tenuity, contains a thousand. How many 
spiders' threads are required to make a strand of the 
thickness of a hair? Not far from ten. And how many 
elementary threads, such as issue from the separate holes 
of the spinneret? Ten thousand. To what a degree of 
tenuity then this silky matter can be reduced that stretches 
out in threads of which it takes ten thousand to equal 
the size of the one hair! What marvels, my children, and 
only to catch a fly that is to serve for the spider's dinner!'* 
— Jean Henri Fabre: The Story Book of Science. 

Have an insect day. Each member of the class Present 
may exhibit any material which he has collected f^^^ation 
(mounted if possible) and use it to illustrate his talk. 

Appoint critics to pass judgment upon each talk Judge the 
as it is given. So much time has been allowed for 
the preparation of this oral lesson that all the talks 
should excel the usual average performance of the 
class. The critics may name the conspicuous merit 
of the better-than-usual explanations and the weak- 
ness of those which are below standard. Average per- 
formances may be allowed to pass without comment. 



190 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

70 

One More Use of Pronouns 
The letters from you and (I, me) pleased him gi'eatly. 

This seems at first glance just like some of the 
sentences you had the other day. But analyze 
the sentence and see. Let us put an s over the sub- 
ject and a v over the verb and an o over the object. 
We will draw lines under adjectives and adverbs 
and draw arrows from them to the words they 
modify. Just as we did when we studied objects 
and predicate nominatives, we will drop out you 
and. 

S V o 

The letters from you and (T, me) pleased him greatly. 

Then (I, me) is not the subject, and it cannot be the 
object of the verb or a i)redicate nominative, for the 
verb pleased has him for its object. You probably 
feel that me is the proper form. AMiy.^ Since 
subject, ])redicate, and object are already marked 
the parts of the sentence still unmarked nmst be 
modifiers. Try to find what me modifies. It does 
not change the meanings of him or of pleased. It 
seems to have more connection with letters, yet it 
cannot belong directly even to letters. The two 
words /ro;// me do, however, belong to letters. Two 
or more words thus used together as a single modi- 
fier w(* call a phrase. From not only introduces the 
phrase but also shows the relation between me and 
letters. Note that it stands just before me (in the 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 191 

original sentence just before the compound expres- 
sion, you and me). A preposition is a word placed 
before a noun or pronoun to show the relation of 
that noun or pronoun to another word or other words 
in the sentence. The noun or pronoun with which 
the preposition is used is the object of the preposition. 
When a pronoun is the object of a preposition it has 
the objective form. 

For convenience in untangling sentences which 
may give you trouble later a complete form for 
quick analysis of any simple sentence is here pre- 
sented. You need not use it if you do not wish to 
do so. 

S V o 

Our aunt from Florida described an orange orchard to 

^^-^^ R -n^- r^^ - 



Myrtle and me . 

s V p.n. 

The man between you and him is his brother. 

V V o 

Did you get this letter from her? 



To make sure that you understand prepositional Work 
phrases clearly, point out the prepositions and their ^^^ether 
objects in the following sentences, and tell what 
these phrases modify: 

1. Henry threw the ball to me. 

2. A boy friendly to him warned Ralph. 

3. The oranges were left for you. 



19e ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

4. Give (to) her my hat and coat, please. 

5. Letters from them have been very rare. 

6. Either of us could wear this coat. 

7. That coat looks well on you. 

8. We had just sent our suits to the cleaner. 

9. I should like to sit by her for a minute. 

10. George, did you come directly (to) home from 

school? 

11. On whom does Fortune smile today? 
l'^. Whom is the present for, John? 

13. We will divide the profits equally among us. 

14. Before five o'clock you must be dressed for dinner. 

15. The clerk in Harder's drug store gave (to) me this 

medicine for my cough. 



If your teacher thinks that you need additional 
practice on prepositional phrases, complete the fol- 
lowing sentences by the addition or insertion of such 
phrases. In each case name the preposition and its 
object. 

1. I have always bought my suits 

2 there are twenty boys and nineteen girls. 

3. My brother will do anything 

4. Stewart's parents promised .... a watch for his 

birthday. 

5. The boy .... is the one who wins. 

6. The big car .... runs 

7 we pliinned to l)uild a house 

8. Now the hou.se is nearly ready 

0. The postman has no mail .... today. 

10. "^'ou nuist keep .... as you walk 

11. "Don't run ....," was the motto on their flag. 

VZ. Take one dose . . . ., another . . , a third . . . ., and 

the last one 

13. Where is Harrv? I liave a letter 






[Bookl] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 193 

14. This matter is unpleasant .... but more .... than 



15. John fell 

16 they are meanest people .... I have had any 

experience. 

17. The burglar crawled .... to reach the window. 

18. The pen lying was a birthday gift from 

Mother 

19. I have never given .... the least reason to be angry 

20. If you will hurry .... I will wait and go back 

In each of the following sentences name the phrase 
to which the pronoun in parentheses belongs and 
then read the sentence as it should be. Make a 
game of reading the sentences after you have gone 
through them together. Let one person read as 
many as he likes, stop, and quickly call upon some- 
one else to go on with the list. 

1. The oranges were sent to Myrtle and (I, me). 

2. The difficulty between you and (I, me) is due to 

Martha's lying. 

3. The dispute between you and Henry will have to be 

settled by you and (he, him). 

4. The invitation meant for Martha's cousins was 

actually addressed to (her, she) and her sister. 

5. Was the quarrel begun by (she, her) or (he, him)? 

6. For both (they, them) and (we, us) beginning over 

is the best plan. 

7. Howard's mother would not listen to complaints 

against Lawrence and (he, him). 
8» Your sister gave Winfield the invitations from you 

and (she, her) for (he, him) and (I, me). 
9. My brother is making a splendid bob-sled for (he, 

him) and (I, me). 



194 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

10. There has always been the warmest friendship be- 

tween (he, him) and (I, me). 

11. This package surely must be for either you or 

(she, her). 

12. There is room enough in our car for both you and 

(we, us). 

13. The water could not have been left running by Mr. 

Pratt or (I, me). 

14. Anna's mother gave to (she, her) and her sister 

ten dollars each for Christmas. 

15. Wilson Dunham made for his cousin and (I, me) 

suits of armor to wear when we gave the play of 
Julius Caesar. 
IG. You have asked from (they, them) and from (we, 
us) different prices for the same article. 

Here arc additional sentences for practice, if you 
need them. 

17. You misunderstood l)oth my sister and (I, me). 

18. (She, her) and her cousin are visiting my brother and 

(I, me). 

19. Neither (he, him) nor (I, me) will speak first. 

20. I will not vote for either you or (she, lier). 

21. The election for captain was a close race between 

(he, him) and (I, me). 

22. (He, him) and (I, me) each received forty votes. 

23. Between us, you and (I, me), we can make the pen 

in an liour. 

24. I toki John I would divide the work between (he, 

him) and his brother. 

25. IVIy opponent and (I, me) scored an eciual number of 

points. . 

2G. His mother gave Lawrence and (he, luni ) some pie and 

a few cookies. 
27. If you and (they, thciiO help me, we can finish l)y 

three o'clock. 



[ Book 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 195 

28. Mary cannot go, and Myrtle says she will not go 

without both (she, her) and (I, me). 

29. Julia's brothers will not let anything come between 

(they, them) and (she, her). 

30. A great piece of the ceiling fell between the door and 

(we, us). 

71 

A Train Letter 

If you have ever had a long journey by train or an Read 
ocean voyage you will remember that after a while **^^ ^ 
the passing landscape or seascape grows monotonous, 
and you wish for something to do. Hence, the 
harvest reaped by the peddlers of magazines and 
cheap books. Even these fail to satisfy entirely, 
especially when the traveler is going away from his 
friends. 

From this situation has arisen the custom of Find your 
steamer letters and train letters. The train letter is vrohlem 
merely a letter written by a friend or by several 
friends of the traveler, delivered just before the train 
starts and not to be read until some time marked 
upon the outside, presumably when the trip will have 
become tiresome. At the beginning of vacation 
some member or members of your group are sure to 
be going upon some rather long journey. It would 
be a genuine kindness to provide these friends with 
train letters. If several of you write letters to the 
same person, it will be a good idea to have them 
opened one at a time at intervals of at least an hour. 

What should go into such a train letter.^ Surely Write your 
not much news, for the reader is one that has been 



196 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

with you and knows almost all the recent events in 
your circle. Perhaps you should write just what 
you would say to him if you were alone — reminis- 
cences of experiences you have shared, comments 
upon people and events, plans for the future, jokes 
and short stories which you think he doesn't know. 
You may take the time you would ordinarily spend 
in preparing your daily lesson before either Christ- 
mas, spring vacation, or the summer holidays to 
prepare your train letter and to revise it, consulting 
with any classmate or your teacher concerning the 
subject matter or the form in which it is expressed. 
When your letter is written you may spend what- 
ever time is left in reading this interesting article. 
Make it a test in silent reading, if you wish. 

How A Fast Train Is Run 

The conductor stood at the end of the train, watcli in 
hand, and, at the moment when the hands indicated the 
appointed hour, he leisurely chmbed aboard and pulled 
the whistle cord. A sharp penetrating hiss of escaping air 
answered the pull, and the train moved out of the great 
train-shed in its race against time. It was all so easy and 
comfortable that the passengers never thought of the 
work and study that had been spent to produce the result. 
The train gathered speed and rush.ed on at an appalling 
rate, but the })assengers did not realize liow fast they were 
going unless they looked out of the windows and saw the 
houses and trees, telegraph poles and signal towers flash 
by. ... 

When the conductor pulled the cord at the rear end of 
the long train a whistling signal was thus gi\cn in the en- 
gine-cab, and the engineer, after glancing down the tracks 
to see that the signals indicated a clear track, pulled out 



[Bookl] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 197 

the long handle of the throttle, and the great machine 
obeyed his will as a docile horse answers a touch on the 
rein. He opened the throttle-valve just a little, so that 
but little steam was admitted to the cylinders, and the pis- 
tons being pushed out slowly, the driving-wheels re- 
volved slowly and the train gradually started. When 
the end of the piston stroke was reached, the used 
steam was expelled into the smokestack, creating a draft 
which in turn strengthened the heat of the fire. With 
each revolution of the driving-wheels, each cylinder — 
there is one on each side of every locomotive — blew its 
steamy breath into the stack twice. This kept the fire 
glowing and made the chou-chou sound that everybody 
knows and every baby imitates. 

As the train gathered speed the engineer pulled the 
throttle open wider and wider, and the puffs in the short, 
stubby stack grew more and more frequent, and the rattle 
and roar of the iron horse increased. 

Down in the pit of the engine-cab, the fireman, a great 
shovel in his hands, stood ready to feed the ravenous 
fires. Every minute or two he pulled the chain and yanked 
the furnace door open to throw in the coal, shutting the 
door again after each shovelful, to keep the fire hot. 

The fireman on a fast locomotive is kept extremely 
busy, for he must keep the steam-pressure up to the re- 
quired standard — one hundred and fifty or two hundred 
pounds — no matter how fast the sucking cylinders may 
draw it out. He kept his eyes on the steam-gage most of 
the time, and the minute the quivering finger began to 
drop, showing reduced pressure, he opened the door to the 
glowing furnace and fed the fire. The steam-cylinders 
act on the boiler a good deal as a lung-tester acts on a hu- 
man being; the cylinders draw out the steam from the 
boiler, requiring a roaring fire to make the vapor rapidly 
enough and keep up the pressure. 

Though the engineer seemed to be taking it easily 
enough with his hand resting lightly on the reversing-lever. 



198 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

his body at rest, the fireman was kept on the jump. If 
he was not shovehng coal he was looking ahead for signals 
(for many roads require him to verify the engineer), or 
adjusting valves that admitted steam to the train-pipes 
and heated the cars, or else, noticing that the water in the 
boiler was getting low — and this is one of his greatest re- 
sponsibilities, which, however, the engineer sometimes 
shares — he turned on the steam in the injector, which 
forced tlie water against the pressure into the boiler. All 
these things he has to do repeatedly, even on a short run. 

The engineer — or "runner" as he is called by his fellows 
— has much to do also, and has infinitely greater responsi- 
bility. On him depend the safety and the comfort of the 
passengers to a large degree; he must nurse his engine to 
produce the greatest speed at the least cost of coal, and he 
must round the curves, climb the grades, and make the 
slow-downs and stops so gradually that the passengers 
will not be disturbed. 

To the outsider who rides in a locomotive cab for the 
first time it seems as if the engineer settles down to his real 
work with a sigh of relief when the limits of the city have 
been passed; for in the towns there are many signals to be 
watched, many crossings to be looked out for, and a multi- 
tude of moving trains, snorting engines, and tooting whis- 
tles to distract one's attention. The "runner," however, 
seemed not to mind it at all. He pulled on his cap a little 
more firmly, and, after glancing at his watch, reached out 
for the throttk^ handle. A very little pull satisfied him, 
and though the increase in speed was hardly perceptible, 
the more rapid exhaust told the story of faster move- 
ment. . . . 

When a station was reached, when a "caution" signal 
was displayed, or whenever any one of the hundred or more 
things occurred that might require a stop or a slow-down, 
the engineer closed down the throttle and very gradually 
opened the air-brake valve that admitted compressed air 
to the brake-cylinders, not only on the locomotive but 



[ Booh 1 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 199 

on all the cars. The speed of the train slackened steadily 
but without a jar, until the- power of the compressed air 
clamped the brake-shoes on the wheels so tightly that they 
were practically locked and the train was stopped. By 
means of the air-brake the engineer had almost entire con- 
trol of the train. The pump that compresses the air is 
on the engine, and keeps the pressure in the car and loco- 
motive reservoirs automatically up to the required stan- 
dard. 

Every stage of every trip of a train not a freight is care- 
fully charted, and the engineer is provided with a time- 
table that shows where his train should be at a given time. 
It is a matter of pride with the engineers of fast trains to 
keep close to their schedules, and their good records de- 
pend largely on this running-time, but delays of various 
kinds creep in, and in spite of their best efforts engineers 
are not always able to make all their schedules. To arrive 
at their destinations on time, therefore, certain sections 
must be covered in better than schedule time, and then 
great skill is required to get the speed without a sacrifice 
of comfort for the passengers. 

To most travelers time is more valuable than money, 
and so everything about a train is planned to facilitate 
rapid traveling. Almost every part of a locomotive is con- 
trolled from the cab, which prevents unnecessary stopping 
to correct defects; from his seat the engineer can let the 
condensed water out of the cylinders; he can start a jet 
of steam in the stack and create a draft through the fire- 
box; by the pressure of a lever he is able to pour sand on a 
slippery track, or by the manipulation of another lever a 
snow-scraper is let down from the cowcatcher. The prac- 
ticed ear of a locomotive engineer often enables him to dis- 
cover defects in the working of his powerful machine, 
and he is generally able, with the aid of various devices 
always on hand, to prevent an increase of trouble without 
leaving the cab. . . . 

Though the engineer's work is not hard, the strain is 



200 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 1 ] 

great, and fast runs are divided up into sections so tliat no 
one engine or its runner has to work more than three or 
four hours at a time. 

It is reahzed that in order to keep the trainmen — and 
especially the engineers — alert and keenly alive to their 
work and responsibilities, it is necessary to make the per- 
iods of labor short; the same thing is found to apply to 
the machines also — they need rest to keep them perfectiv 
fit. 

— Doubleday: Stones of Inventors? 

Read the When all the letters have been written, the class- 

letters mate for whom they are intended may be excused 

from the room- and the letters then passed from hand 

to hand so that all may enjoy them. Which one or 

w^hich parts of several will he enjoy most.^ 



^CopjTight by Doubleday, Page and Company, publishers. 

-If letters are addressed to more than one person, the reading may take 
place without any ones being excused, because each prospective traveler 
can read the letters not addressed to him. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 
BOOK TWO 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 

BOOK II 

CHAPTER I 

The work of the grade you are just commencing 
should prove fully as pleasant as that of last year. 
By this time you should be able to choose aims and to 
select means of achieving those aims without minute 
directions given at every step by teacher or text. 
You must expect, of course, to do a little more of 
your English work outside the class hour than you 
have done before. The greater responsibility and 
effort bring with them a sense of independence and 
self-confidence which you will enjoy. The text will 
continue to present interesting undertakings in speak- 
ing and to help you to carry them through success- 
fully. "Happy work" will, we hope, be a good de- 
scription of your activities in English this year. 



An Embarrassing Moment 

"01" Pollock was in his occasional sober spells a perfect Read 
gentleman, but when he was drinking his great strength silently 
and ugly temper made him the terror of the cities along the 
R. & E. O. Line. During one of his reformations he had 

I Bool 2 ] 1 



2 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

served as night clerk in my father's railroad-man's hotel, 
and he was fairly sure to visit us whenever he happened to 
be in town. He feared my father, who was physically a 
match for him; the clerks he despised and imposed upon. 
Strangely enough he seemed to like me and would usually 
quiet down at my request. 

His favorite offense was to order a good meal at the 
lunch counter and then tell the clerk at the desk to charge 
it. Finally, one night clerk, an inoffensive lad of almost 
dwarfish build, asked 01 whether he had money to pay 
for the meal he was ordering. For answer 01 reached 
out a long arm and slapped the clerk against the wall, 
much as we swat a fly. Then he shouted, "Get out of 
here! Quick!" I had to man the desk until morning. 

After this affair father said, "If 01 appears again, let 
me know at once." Perhaps two weeks afterward, as I 
was coming back to the hotel in the evening twilight I saw 
"01" coming. I slipped in the back way and hurried up 
to father, who was standing at the desk with several men 
on the outside. In my excitement I did not glance at the 
men, but blurted out, "Father, 01 is coming." 
Father's reply surprised me, for he said impatiently, 
"Yes, child; I know it." Then I glanced up and saw 01 
opposite me across the desk, near enough to have knocked 
me down by merely extending his arm. Then Father said, 
"Attend to these men; they want to pay for their suppers." 
If I did not make mistakes as I tore the coupons from 
their meal books it was a wonder, for all I could think about 
was wliat a fool or a coward I nuist seem to father, to 01. 
and to those men at the counter. 

— Homer O. Selfridge. 

Find ynur Do you know^ How Homer felt — the hot wave that 

problem y^-^^ni ,ij) bis iieck, the misty swaying of the room, and 

all tliat.^ Then you, too, have been in embarrassing 

situations. Won't you tell about one of them, for 

the benefit of your friends.^ If you haven't courage 



[ Booh 2\ ENGLISH IN SERVICE 3 

to tell such a joke on yourself, you may tell of the 
predicament into which someone else blundered. 

Before reading the remainder of this section, se- 
lect the incident you will tell. 

Now that you have settled upon your incident. Discuss 
you are ready to think how you can make the nar- 
rative most entertaining. Homer's story, although 
imperfect in several ways, is not uninteresting. This 
is chiefly because he has used considerable detail. 
He could have described in half the space the scene 
in which he made himself ridiculous, but it would not 
have been half so good. Pick out the details which 
help us to realize the characters in the story; then 
those that merely help us to image the action that 
occurred. Why do these character details improve 
the story .f^ 

In working up your story make sure that you Study 
have included details which make the action vivid, 
and try to supply some which will reveal character, 
too. 

When your story is well prepared, read this in- 
cident from Jacob Riis's The Making of an Ameri- 
can} What details add vividness to the picture.^^ 
Where is character revealed .^^ 

Speaking of parading, my old desire to roam, that kept 
cropping out at intervals, played me a characteristic trick 
at this time. I was passing through a horse-market when 
I saw a fine-looking shapely young horse put up at what 
seemed a ridiculously low price. Eighteen dollars was the 
bid, and it was about to be knocked down at that. The 



'Used by permission of Mrs. Jacob Riis and of The Macmillan Com- 
pany, publishers. 



4 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

October sun was shining warm and bright. A sudden 
desire to get on the horse and ride out into the wide world, 
away from the city and the haunts of men, never to come 
back, seized me. I raised the bid to nineteen dohars. 
Almost before I knew, the beast was knocked down to me 
and I had paid over the money. It left me with exactly 
six dollars to my name. 

Leading the animal by the halter, I went down the street 
and sat on the stoop of the Robinson House to think. 
With every step, perplexities I hadn't thought of sprang 
up. In the first place, I could not ride. I had always 
wanted to, but had never learned. Even if I had been 
able to, where was I going and to do what? I couldn't 
ride around and sell flat-irons. The wide world seemed 
suddenly a cold and far-off place, and the six dollars but 
small backing in an attack upon it, with a hungry horse 
waiting to be fed. That was only too evident. The beast 
was tearing the hitching-post with its teeth in a way that 
brooked no delay. Evidently it had a healthy appetite. 
The conclusion was slowly dawning upon me that I had 
made a fool of myself, when the man who had bid eighteen 
dollars came by and saw me sitting there. He stopped to 
ask what was the matter, and I told him frankly. He 
roared and gave me eighteen dollars for the beast. I was 
glad enough to give it up. I never owned a horse before 
nor since, and I had that less than fifteen minutes; but 
it was the longest quarter of an hour since I worked in the 
coal-mine. 

Tril 1/nur ^^^ manv pupils may speak as the period will per- 
tiorir.s jj^i( Save the last ten minutes for discussion. 

Was the nana live satisfactorily vivid. ^ If so, 
what was the nu)sl lelling detail.^ If not, what de- 
tails might the speaker have used.^ 
Di.sruss in During the last ten minutes of the hour recall 
the principles of correctness and eirectiveness you 



J luhjc tlu 
.slorirn 



las 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 5 

learned last year. Does the class as a whole make 
good use of them? If any one or two of these prin- 
ciples are especially neglected, plan to have more 
stories of embarrassment for tomorrow and correct 
these faults. In that case, plan a revised version 
of the same story for tomorrow. Speakers will be 
chosen by lot, so that some of those who spoke today 
may be called upon to repeat the same narrative 
with improvements. 



A Letter of July 4, 1776 
Wilson Hopkins had come to Georgia in 1740 when Read 



he was eighteen years old. Daniel Hopkins, his 
father, had been a successful bootmaker in Manches- 
ter, England, but had decided to come to America 
because of the greater business and social opportuni- 
ties. He died on board ship and was buried at sea. 
Whatever money he had with him was seized by the 
captain of the ship, who said it was only a small 
amount, not enough to pay for the extra work which 
the passenger's sickness and death caused. When 
Wilson tried to get back the money he should have 
inherited from his father, he could not get an English 
court to admit the case, and the captain could not be 
made to recognize any colonial court. This in- 
justice, added to his dislike of the social distinctions 
in England, against which he had so often heard his 
father speak bitterly, left Wilson strongly anti- 
English in feeling. Through good sense and hard 
work he prospered in business and became one of 



silently 



G ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

the important men of his colony. It was very nat- 
ural that when the Revolution began, since he was 
too old to be an active soldier, he should be sent to 
the Continental Congress from Georgia. 

^Tien the Declaration of Independence was pro- 
posed, he did not make any speech, because he had 
never had time to learn to make speeches; but in 
private conversations he argued strongly in its fa- 
vor,' and his was one of the votes by which it was 
adopted. 
Find your (^'an you imagine the letter he wrote to his partner 

problem . . . . . • tt-' i • 

at home or the one he wrote to his son m >> ashmg- 
ton's army on the afternoon of July 4, 1776? How 
much did he tell of what happened in Philadelphia 
that day.^ Whose speeches or remarks did he 
quote.^ What feeling of his own did he express.^ 
Write Historical allusions contained in your letter must 

be quite accurate; therefore, after you have thought 
out what you want to write, consult your history if 
necessary before your letter is actually written. 
Personal details concerning the life and family of 
Wilson Hopkins will, of course, bo entirely imaginary. 
(The sketch of his life given here is j)ure fiction.) 
Put yourself in his place and write the letter, trying 
to make events and persons as vivid as you can. 
Vividness will depend, first, upon the clearness of 
your ideas, and, second, upon your choice of forceful 
and expressive words. 

If you finish before the others, read this letter 
writt(Mi by Samuel Adams to his wife. In what wa}s 
does it diifei* IVoin pres(Mit-(lay letl(M-s? In what 
ways is it like a modern letter? 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 7 

Phil, June 28th, 1775. 
My Dearest Betsy, yesterday I received Letters from 
some of our friends at the Camp informing me of the En- 
gagement between the American Troops and the Rebel 
Army in Charlestown. I cannot but be greatly rejoyced 
at the tryed Valor of our Countrymen who by all Accounts 
behaved with an intrepidity becoming those who fought 
for their Liberties against the mercenary Soldiers of a 
Tyrant. It is painful to me to reflect on the Terror I must 
suppose you were under on hearing the Noise of War so 
near. Favor me my dear with an Account of your Ap- 
prehensions at that time under your own hand. I pray 
God to cover the heads of our Countrymen in every day 
of Battle and to protect you from Injury in these dis- 
tracted times. The Death of our truly amiable and 
worthy Friend Dr. Warren is greatly afflicting; the Lan- 
guage of Friendship is, how shall we resign him; but it is 
our Duty to submit to the Dispensations of Heaven "whose 
ways are ever gracious, ever just." He fell in the glorious 
Struggle for publick Liberty. Mr. Pitts and Dr. Church 
inform me that my dear Son has at length escaped from 
Prison at Boston. . . . Remember me to my dear Han- 
nah and sister Polly and to all Friends. Let me know 
where good old Surry is. Gage has made me respectable 
by naming me first among those who are to receive no 
favor from him. I thoroughly despise him and his Pro- 
clamation. . . . The Clock is now striking twelve. 
I therefore wish you good Night. 

Yours most affectionately, 

S. Adams. 

Choose a committee of five to assume charge of Judge the 
the letters written by the class. Each member of the 
committee may take one fifth of the papers and, 
after reading them carefully, number them one, two, 
three, etc., in order of excellence, number one being 
the best. When the letters are returned, your 



8 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

teacher will ask all pupils having letters numbered 
one to read them to the class. After each reading 
the committee member responsible for the choice 
will explain why he considered that particular 
letter excellent. Letters numbered two and three 
may be posted on the bulletin board. If your letter 
received a low rank, consult with your committee 
member as to its defects. 
Find out L)o you know how either of the letters of this 
lesson would have been delivered in 1775-76.^ Would 
it have been inclosed in an envelope and its trans- 
mission paid for with a postage stamp .^ Appoint 
some member of your class to find out about the 
mail service of those days, and to report upon it at 
a suitable time. 
Read ai Have you ever read Hugh Wynne by S. ^Yeir 

wme Mitchell.^ Hugh was wounded in battle and cap- 

tured by the British. After a miserable prison 
experience, he escaj^ed in spite of his treacherous 
cousin Arthur, and made his way to his aunt's home, 
only to find it occupied by a Hessian staff. Stealing 
in while the officers were away, he helped himself 
to their firearms and papers, leaving a saucy note 
behind, and presently made his way to ^^ ashington 
at Valley Forge. If you like a story of love and ad- 
venture, you will like Ungh Wynne. 

3 

Hank Baxta's Duckixg 

Head I am reading the Iloos-icr Schoolma.sfcr. I esi)erially en- 

^ joyed one incident in it. Ralph Hartsook Mas tlie teacher 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 9 

in the Flat creek district. Flat creek was a very rough 
neighborhood in the backwoods of Indiana. They had 
driven out several teachers. Ralph was small but deter- 
mined. So far he had held his own pretty well. 

One day Hank Banta and some other big boys planned a 
joke on Ralph. They went to school early. Hank loos- 
ened a board in the floor near Ralph's desk. He removed 
the support from one end of the board. Anyone who 
stepped on this end of the board would go through the 
floor. There was a pond of water beneath the school 
house. Of course the water was cold. This was in March. 
Hank and his crowd expected Ralph to step on the loose 
board. 

Ralph, however, was warned by Shocky. Ralph had 
been good to Shocky. No one else paid much attention 
to Shocky. Shocky was an orphan. Shocky was very 
grateful to Ralph. Ralph came into the school room that 
morning. He did not seem to notice the board. He did 
not step on the board. The boys were disappointed. 
They tried not to show it. After a while they forgot all 
about the matter. Hank could not do his arithmetic. 
He went up to Ralph's desk for help. Just then Ralph 
was helping Betsy Short. Ralph told Hank to step up 
behind the desk. Then Hank could see what Ralph was 
doing for Betsy. Hank stepped upon the board. He 
went down into the cold water. 

Ralph seemed surprised. He helped Hank out of the 
hole. Ralph did not scold Hank. Ralph scolded some 
one else. Some one had played Hank a mean trick. Ralph 
did not know who it was. Ralph seemed sorry for Hank. 
At noon he lent Hank his overcoat to keep him from 
catching cold. After that Hank was afraid of the master. 
The other boys respected Ralph's cleverness. 

You have been irritated, probably, in reading this TForfc 
version of a good story. All the facts are there, yet '^^ 
the story is not entertaining. Perhaps if you were 



10 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

asked why, you would say because it sounds like 
a primer or a first reader; and you would be right. 
But how is it like a first reader? Lack of connection 
between the ideas is the chief fault. The ideas are 
well arranged, but each one is expressed separately, 
and the reader is left to supply the connections be- 
tween them. Apparently the boy who wrote this 
story was unacquainted with and, but, while, because, 
since, who, when, and the many other similar words 
which help us to indicate the relation between our 
ideas. Try to combine the sentences which he has 
used, so as both to shorten the narrative and to make 
clearer the relations between the various ideas ex- 
pressed. In many cases you can put two sentences 
together and in some cases even three and four. 
Work out the revised form on the blackboard. 

4 

Equals and Dependents 

Study Now as you study your version of "Hank Banta's 

Ducking" you will see that in some cases you have 
merely joined two sentences of the original story 
with and, because it seems to you that they arc 
more closely conncH?ted with each other than with 
other ideas near them. The statements in such a 
sentence are independent of each other and, so far 
as the form shows, ec[ually important. Thus, The 
boys icere disappointed, TJicy tried not to show it, and 
After a ichile they forgot all about the matter are all 
equally important statements, yet they would Ik^ 
easier to read if the relations between them were 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 11 

shown by conjunctions. They can profitably all be 
combined, like this: The hoys were disappointed, hut 
they tried not to show it and after a while they forgot 
all about the matter. A sentence of this type we call 
compound, and the separate statements composing 
it we speak of as members. It is a very useful sort 
of sentence, but it should be used only when the ideas 
expressed in the different parts are of about equal 
importance. 

Note the effect of the different conjunctions in 
these sentences: 

Laura is fond of arithmetic, but Ben likes science best* 

Kenneth had been laughing all the time, and now Tom 
began to see the joke, too. 

I cannot explain now, but I will do so later. 

They got the wrong number, or our telephone is out 
of order. 

I will be there at that time, or I will send the money 
by Mason. 

While these do not change the independence and 
equal importance of the members, but and or 
do indicate the relationship of opposition between 
them, whereas and assumes more or less similarity 
or agreement in the two ideas connected. 

Some of the short statements which need to be 
combined cannot best be joined by any of the con- 
junctions so far named. Ralph came into the room 
that morning and He did not seem to notice the displaced 
board are not equally important. The first state- 
ment is chiefly an indication of the time of the 
second; so we may combine them like this: When 
Ralph came into the room that morning, he did not seem 



12 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

to notice the displaced board. The conjunction ichen 
shows that the statement to which it is attached is 
merely a time modifier of the verb in the other state- 
ment. If one said, Ralph did not seem then to notice 
the displaced board, you would recognize theji as an 
adverb modifying seem. When Ralph came into the 
schoolroom is used in exactly the same way as an 
adverbial modifier. Since it has a subject and a 
predicate, we call it a clause; but, since it is only a 
modifier, we call it a dependent clause. A sentence 
which contains a dependent clause is complex. The 
chief statement, some part of which is modified by the 
dependent clause, is the independent clause. He did 
not seem to notice the displaced board is such an in- 
dependent clause. Perhaps you have combined the 
sentences Someone had played Hank a mean trick and 
Ralph did not know who it ivas into Someone whom 
Ralph did not know had played Hank a mean trick. 
This also is a complex sentence. Find the depend- 
ent and the independent clauses. 

The advantage of com])lex sentences is that they 
show which ideas are im])ortant, and em])hasizo 
them. This makes reading less tiresome and the 
writer's meaning more clear. 

Underline the complex sentences in your version 
of "Hank Banta's Ducking." Are the clauses wliicli 
you have used as modifiers really less important 
than the ones which you have made the main state- 
ments? Would it be better to change any of these 
complex sentences to compound, or to separate tlieni 
again into simple sentences.? In the same way look 
over your compound sentences to determine whether 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 13 

any of them could profitably become complex by 
having one idea made subordinate to the other. 

When you have completed combining and recom- 
bining sentences in the story, have both the 
original form and the new version read aloud. 
Note the difference in smoothness, in interest, in 
clearness, and in vigor. 



Practice 

In the story which follows make different com- Write 
binations of the simple statements and compare the 
force and meaning of the results. Underscore your 
compound sentences with straight lines and under- 
score your complex sentences with wavy lines or 
colored ink. If this work is done in class, the teacher 
will appoint one or two pupils to work on the board 
at the hack of the room. 

I heard the fire whistle. I ran into the street. The 
hook and ladder had already passed our house. The hose 
cart was just passing. I could see the engine coming. I 
stood there several minutes. The engine came along. I 
saw a little boy run into the street. I tried to catch him. 
The engine was almost upon him. Suddenly he saw the 
engine. With a wild shriek he jumped for the pavement. 
He fell out of the way of the engine. I do not care to see 
such a thing again. My heart does not beat right yet. 
Engines come down our street frequently. I do not go out. 
I fear I shall see an accident. 

Here is something else to do if you finish before the 
others. Perhaps your teacher will allow you to 



14 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

work on the blackboard. Some of the connectives 
in this narrative should be changed or omitted. 
Make the revision. 

I was just starting my vacation when Cousin Edna 
telegraphed that she was coming to visit us. I was the 
oldest child and had to stay at home to help entertain her. 
She did not come on time but her train was wrecked. She 
wasn't hurt and she lost all her baggage. Though she did 
not seem at all disturbed she was without any clean clothes. 
I took her down town. There she stood in the middle of 
the street where the auto-busses run and one almost ran 
over her. Though she did not seem to mind it scared me. 
She went away when my vacation was almost over. 

Compare results in both revisions. 

Can you give a clear definition of a compound 
sentence? Of a complex sentence.^ Write out your 
definitions on a slip of paper. Your teacher will 
allow several members of the class to read their 
definitions and then the class may adopt the best one 
for each kind of sentence. It would be a good plan 
to copy these definitions into your notebook and paste 
under each a news})aper clipping in which you have 
underscored an example. 

6 

A Lively Combination 

Last year you had some experience in weaving 
stories a!)()ut two or three objects. One of the best 
combinations for I his sort of work is that of a mon- 
key, a baby, and an automobile. Tlie possibilities 
are almost endless. ^Ou inav imagine the babv 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



15 



in the machine, outside but in the path of the machine, 
or indeed entirely away from it. If you put the 
monkey in the machine, the probabihties of trouble 
are large. If you put him outside, he may play a very 
different part in the story. Make as interesting a 
piece of fiction as you can. 

Plan your story and write it out as rapidly as you Write 
can without carelessness. Then examine your sen- 
tences. Would it be well to combine any of them 
into compound or complex sentences.'^ Can you im- 
prove your expression by changing some of the con- 
junctions used.f^ 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
newspaper account of a thrilling incident. Be able 
to tell why this article might have been called "A 
Lively Combination." 



PARADE CROWD IN 
PANIC, SEES GIRL 
BATTLE 2 TIGERS 

The lady and the tiger went riding 
in the streets of Aurora yesterday, 
and when it was all over, the smile if 
any, was on the face of the lady. 

The parade of the Al Barnes circus 
was passing through North Lake 
street, a residential thoroughfare. In 
one compartment of a gilded cage sat 
Miss Mabel Stark with a Bengal tiger. 
In another compartment rode three 
other tigers of Asiatic breed. 



16 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 



Suddenly the wagon lilt a bump. 
The connecting door jarred open and 
into the first compartment sprang a 
tiger of Siberia. The beasts tangled. 
Miss Stark lashed her whip. The 
street was in a panic. 

Men, women, and children scram- 
bled to get away from the vicinity of 
the wagon, which was wabbling pre- 
cariously as the frightened horses 
plunged from side to side of the pave- 
ment. Boys climbed trees. Several 
women fainted. The screams of the 
spectators were almost drowned out 
by the snarling and growling of the 
tigers. 

Finally Miss Stark succeeded in 
driving the fighting beasts into the 
rear compartment. She banged the 
door shut and the four tigers contin- 
ued their battle. It was not until 
several minutes later that half a dozen 
circus hands, beating with iron bars, 
managed to separate them. One ani- 
mal was so badly hurt that it had to 
be shot. —Chicago Tribune. 



Your teacher will ap])oint a coinmittoe to collect 
and read the stories written by the class, choosing 
five of the most amusing to be read aloud, and three 
of the best looking lo he placed on the bulletin board, 
^riie remaining papers may Ix^ distributed so that no 
])Uj)il will liax'c his own. Spend whatever time is 
left in reading and discussing compound and complex 
sentences I'ouiul on the i)a|)ers. The eight pupils 
who have no papers because of connnittee choices 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 17 

may act as class recorders to place upon the black- 
board satisfactory examples of each kind of sen- 
tence. 

You will be interested to read at home another Read at 

fiomc 

"lively combination" story — O. Henry's "The Ran- 
som of Red Chief," in a collection of stories called 
Whirligigs. The kidnappers and the imaginary In- 
dian have a most exciting time. 



Righteous Indignation 

"No, I won't forgive him! You wouldn't either. Find your 
if he had done it to you!" ^'^^ ^^ 

What do you suppose "he" had done? Will the 
speaker really never forgive? Talk these things over 
for five minutes with your classmates and then con- 
struct upon this foundation the best conversation 
you can. The quotation given may be the first 
words of your story, or come anywhere later, as you 
please. 

To secure the most effective sentences, tell this Study 
story aloud to yourself at home before you tell it to 
others. Two rehearsals of this sort would be even 
better than one. 

If your teacher approves and room conditions will T^f ^^j^ 
permit, the class may divide up into groups of five or 
six and tell one another the stories. Each group will 
then select the most interesting one to be told to the 
whole class, and make suggestions for improving it 
in the retelling. 



judge the 
stories 



18 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

8 

Placing Modifying Clauses 

Rtudy Dependent clauses, whicli you have been studying 

recently, present two chief difficulties in actual use. 
Sometimes such a modifying clause is mistaken by a 
careless or inexperienced writer for a whole sentence. 
This you can easily guard against by asking yourself 
whether the supposed sentence, as it stands, makes 
a statement or is only a condition of a statement. 
If I say, When I am seventy years old, you feel that 
I will go on and say something else. What I have 
said is merely the condition of some more important 
statement which is to follow. Care and common 
sense will prevent mistakes here. 

The other difficulty is somewhat more serious. 
Dependent clauses are always modifiers, either ad- 
verbial or adjective. They should be placed as near 
as possible to the words which they modify, because 
this is the only way that we have in the English 
language of indicating what they do modify. In 
Latin or French or (ierman the very form of an ad- 
jective indicates whether it modifies tlie subject, the 
object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. To 
a certain extent this is true also of the modifying 
clauses. In English, liowt^ver, we depend upon the 
onh'r of the words in a st^itence to indicate their re- 
lations. It is very important, therefore, that we put 
modifiers where they belong, lest the whole sentence 
be misunderstood. 

Adjective clauses niodify, of course, only nouns or 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 19 

pronouns. Examine the modifying clauses in the ^tudy 
following sentences to determine what they modify ^^^ '^^ 
and how they are joined to this modified word. 

The man who now has possession of the flat refuses to 
give it up. 

He is the most thoughtful person whom I have ever 
known. 

I left the paper that you gave me with the maid who 
came to the door. 

The use of an adverb for an adjective is one of the most 
noticeable errors that you can make. 

The man for whom this suit was made left town with- 
out paying for it. 

The point upon which we were arguing will never be 
settled. 

The man whose chickens scratch in a neighbor's garden 
should have to pay damages. 

When you have picked out the words modified in 
these sentences, you will find that they are all nouns 
or pronouns in the independent clause — either sub- 
jects, objects of the verb, or objects of prepositions, 
in the independent clause. You will find, too, that the 
dependent clauses immediately follow these words 
which they modify and that each of them is intro- 
duced by who (whom, whose) or that. Usually this 
introducing word is the first word of the dependent 
clause, but it is sometimes preceded by a preposition, 
such as for in the man for whom the suit was made. 

Construct as many sentences containing clauses 
modifying nouns as you have time for. Try to find 
other words than who, which, and that with which to 
introduce the adjective clauses. Try to find another 



20 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 

place than immediately after the noun or pronoun 
modified in which to put an adjective clause. Try to 
formulate a rule for the placing of adjective clauses. 
Take out your history or your literature book. Find 
short sentences containing adjective clauses and 
dictate these to a member of the class who will write 
them on the blackboard. Study the adjective 
clauses. 

9 

Practice 

Adverbial clauses (see page 12) are usually modifiers 
of the verb of the independent clause. Study the fol- 
lowing sentences to determine the modifying clauses, 
and the words which they modify. 

1. Babies always cry wlien he enters the room. 

2. I was eating my dinner when you called me on the 

phone. 

3. I started, before you asked me, to bring in the 

clothes. 

4. I stayed at the office after all the others had left. 

5. When I saw him, I recognized him at once. 

6. Before I read this book, I always supposed that 

mining was profitable. 

7. I certainly shall stay where I am now. 

8. Fireweed grows wherever a tract of woodland has 

been burned over. 

9. Where you now sit, he sat last night. 

10. If you do not come, T shall be very angry. 

11. ^'ou nmst do this because you promised me. 

12. Allhough this is possible, it sc(Miis wry unlikely. 

In the first six of these sentences you have very 
little difliculty in deciding tlmt the dependent clauses 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 21 

are used to fix the time of the action. It is easy to 
see that they modify the verbs just as such ad- 
verbs as yesterday^ tomorrow, soon, long ago, would. 
In the next three sentences the clauses are as clearly 
used to indicate the place of the action. Finally, 
sentences 10, 11, 12 contain dependent clauses which 
seem really to modify the whole independent clauses, 
that is, they seem to modify the statement rather 
than any individual words. The condition expressed 
by If you do not come applies to the whole statement 
I shall be angry. We say that such clauses do modify 
the verb because it is the asserting or stating word. 

Construct ten other sentences containing adverbial Study 
clauses. Use as many different connectives to intro- using the 
duce them as you can. Such words as when, since, ^^^^'^oard 
until, if, although, because, and the others that you 
will use are subordinate conjunctions, because they 
always introduce dependent^ — or, as they are some- 
times called, subordinate — clauses. These words 
never connect the members of a compound sentence, 
but always join one modifying clause to a part of the 
independent clause. 

From your history, or any printed material at hand, 
select a sentence containing an adverbial clause. 
When you have found one, stand. Some member of 
the class may act as secretary to record such sentences 
on the blackboard from dictation. 

Try to state a rule for the placing of adverbial 
clauses. Those that modify adjectives or adverbs 
follow the same rule as the adjective clauses; but as 
you examine the sentences given here and those which 
you have made, you will see that the clauses which 



22 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

modify verbs do not always stand next to the verbs 
to which they belong. What places, then, may they 
occupy? Put on the board the best statement you 
can work out. Copy it with some illustrations into 
your notebook for reference. 

10 

A Sample Incident from ]\Iy Book 

vrobllin^^ In Order to help your classmates in the selection of 
their home reading, choose an incident characteristic 
of the book you are reading and write a brief account 
of it. If you wish, you may add or prefix your 
opinion of the whole book. Your completed paper 
will be bound with those of your classmates and 
placed upon the reading table for all to consult. 

n^itc When your first draft is written, it will be profitable 

for all who have read the same book to gather in a 
little group to discuss one another's papers or for 
several members of the class to exchange papers. 
Are the events correctly presented.^ Are the char- 
acters represented fairly? Is the narrative interest- 
ing enough to lead others to read the book? Is the 
opinion expressed a just one? Of course, you are to 
take advantage of any useful criticism of your paper. 
In all probability you will now see the desirability 
of certain changes in your paper. Seize the oppor- 
tunity to examine and improve your sentences. 
First read your paper to yourself, "listening" to 
determine whether or not there are too many short 
sentences, so that the whole is jerky and tiresome to 
read. If you find that this is true, try before copying 



[ Book 2 \ ENGLISH IN SERVICE 23 

to combine some of your short sentences. Some of 
the ideas certainly stand in relations to each other 
expressed by before, after, since, as, while, when, until. 
Probably others should be related by because, for, 
unless, if, yet, and, but, although. 

Finally, make a fresh copy, embodying all the im- 
provements, for the library table. 

If you finish before the others read the following 
book advertisement: 



THE SIGNAL AGREED UPON was one loud 
knock and two light ones. Then flight from the 
Valley of the Doones and safety! 

Hark! the signal at last! Lorna flings open the 
door and admits— HER GREATEST ENEMY. 



LORNA DOONE 

By 
R. D. BLACKMORE 



Does this advertisement leave you with a desire to 
read the book.^^ Can you explain why it does so.^^ 

Write an advertisement which will induce some of 
your classmates to read a book which you have en- 
joyed. If your advertisement is clever and the book 
worth while, your teacher will allow you to print it 
in poster form on the blackboard. 

The papers written by the class should be bound Judge the 
into heavy manila covers with a large envelope pasted 



stones 



24 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

inside the back cover. Appoint some responsible 
pupil to see that the book circulates for one week. 
Each one who reads the book will place in the envelope 
a slip of paper containing the name of the incident 
which he thinks has been best written from the point 
of view of varied and appropriate sentence structure. 
AYlien the week is up, the pupil in charge will examine 
these slips and copy on the board for class study 
whatever paper, in the opinion of the readers, shows 
particular excellence in the matter of sentence form. 
Your teacher may make some further comments upon 
the work of individuals in the class. 

11 

An Old Story 

Find your That story grandpa or father or imcle tells so fre- 
j)m)im qy^^ni^ly may have grown old to you, but it will be new 
to your classmates. You have heard it so many 
times that you will find it easy to reproduce. Per- 
haps you can tell it better than it was told to you! 
For your family's sake you wish to do it as well as you 
can. 
.s///r/.y \Mien you have thouglit the story through, try 

to talk it to yourself, watching your scMitences very 
carefully. Unnecessary and's and short, choppy 
sentences are almost equally disagreeable. Without 
writing your story out and without attempting to use 
the same words every time, say it over to yourself 
until the sentences are nearly as good as those in 
the story you wrote the other day from the book you 
had been reading. 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 25 

If you finish before the others, find in the dic- 
tionary the derivations of the words anecdote and 
reminiscence. Your teacher will let someone tell 
the class about them. These words also have inter- 
esting derivations; real folk tales lie behind their 
present meanings: 

Wednesday colossal 

cereal bankrupt 

tantalize fortune 

Call this oral English period an anecdote period. Tell your 
Consider yourselves a large family listening to 
interesting reminiscences. One person might be 
considered an outsider to judge the excellence of the 
narration. 

Mark Twain tells an amusing anecdote which he Read at 
says was related to him by "good-natured, garrulous 
old Simon Wheeler." Have you read "The Cele- 
brated Jumping Frog".^ 

12 

Grandfather's Story 

Devote as much of a class period as seems wise to 
reading poems and short stories giving detailed ac- 
counts of important actions or situations in American 
history. "Grandmother's Story" (Bunker Hill), 
by Holmes, "Warren's Address" (Bunker Hill), by 
Pierpont, "Paul Revere's Ride," by Longfellow, and 
the "Song of Marion's Men," by Bryant are typical 
examples of such patriotic narratives. As you read . 
or listen to such narratives you will realize the in- 



26 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

cidents as you have not done from reading the very 
brief accounts of them in your history text. Tlie 
hterary narratives are more vivid and interesting 
because they are more detailed and more personal. 
Find the If you have read "Grandmother's Story," think 

pro em j^^^^ Grandfather probabl^^ told the story when the 
children asked him about it. AYhat did he see 
that Grandmother could not? Did he have the 
strain of waiting.^ Did he worry as grandmother 
did.^ ^^^lat did he think about, between charges.^ 
Did he feel about it afterwards as she did? Perhaps 
you can make as good a Grandfather's Story as 
Holmes did a Grandmother's. You may need to 
look up and discuss together the actual position of 
the battlefield and the detailed events of the battle. 
Can you get any help from Holmes's poem? 

If you have not read "Grandmother's Story" or if 
"Grandfather's Story" does not appeal to you, retell 
one of the other incidents as some i)articipant might 
have told it. If none of the incidents treated in the 
poems and stories at hand aj^peals to you, choose any 
other incident from American history and present a 
personal narrative of it. 
jj7j7^ Place yourself mentally in the time and circum- 

stances of the event you are narrating. Write your 
story first as rapidly as ])ossible. (If you are inclined 
to j)ut your story into verse, you will find the meter 
of "Paul Revere" both easiest and best suited to 
3'our story of action.) Then j)olish it by correction, 
and make a fair, neat copy worthy of the dignified 
men and women of the stirring times whose events 
^•ou are recounl ing. 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 27 

If you finish before the others, read this story 
poem and be able to tell how it and one of those you 
read at the beginning of this lesson are alike and 
hov/ they are different. 

LOCHINVAR 

O young Lochinyar is come out of the West! 
Through all the wide border his steed was the best; 
And, save his good broadsword, he weapons had none; 
He rode all unarmed and he rode all alone. 
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, 
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar. 

He stayed not for brake, and he stopped not for stone; 

He swam the Eske river where ford there was none; 

But, ere he alighted at Netherby gate. 

The bride had consented — the gallant came late; 

For a laggard in love, and a dastard in war, 

Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar. 

So boldly he entered the Netherby hall. 

Among bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all. 

Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on his sword — 

For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word — 

*'0 come ye in peace here, or come ye in war. 

Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?" 

"I long wooed your daughter; — my suit you denied; 
Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide; 
And now I am come, with this lost love of mine 
To lead but one measure — drink one cup of wine. 
There be maidens in Scotland, more lovely by far, 
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar." 

The bride kissed the goblet; the knight took it up; 
He quaffed off the wine, and he threw down the cup; 



28 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sigh, 
With a smile on her lip, and a tear in her eye; 
He took her soft hand ere her mother could bar, — 
*'Now tread we a measure!" said young Lochinvar. 

So stately his form and so lovely her face. 

That never a hall sucli a galliard did grace; 

While her mother did fret, and her father did fume, 

And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume, 

And the bridemaidens whispered, *"Twere better, by far, 

To have matched our fair cousin with young Lochinvar." 

One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear, 

When they reached the hall door, where the charger stood 

near; 
So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung. 
So light to the saddle before lier he sprung! 
"She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur: 
They'll have fleet steeds that follow," quoth young 

Lochinvar. 

There was mounting 'mong Graemes of the Xethcrby clan: 

Fosters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, the^' rode and tliey ran; 

There was racing and chasing on Canobie Lee 

But the lost bride of Xetlicrby ne'er did they see. 

So daring in love and so dauntless in war. 

Have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar? 

— Sir Walter Scott. 

Ju(lgr the Excliaiigc pap(M\s ill any way that your teacher 
(linnets and read the paper which you receive, writing 
at the end your coinnicnt upon: (a) the story; (b) the 
ex])re.ssion; (c) the appearance. Before the ])ap(Ms 
are returned to their owners your teacher will call 
upon fi\'c or six |)upils to read aloud the stories 
wliicli lliey bold. Any story in verse form should 
also l)c read aloud. 



sloncs 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 29 

Many boys and girls think that they do not care Ueadat 
for poetry, but there are certain poems which you 
will enjoy because of the stories they tell. Picture 
to yourself a soldier and a monk standing in an old 
church at midnight before an open tomb from which 
a strange light streams upward. Why did they 
lift the slab, and what did they take from beneath 
it.f^ Read Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel and find 
out. 

Your Own Paper 

Have you a school paper.? If you have, has your Find your 
room a department in it.? Or at least is your room ^^° ^^ 
frequently represented by news items and other 
contributions.? Have you ever read any of your 
own writing in it.? If you wish, you may take a day 
or two — as much time as your teacher finds you can 
really use — to prepare material for your school 
paper. 

But perhaps you do not have a school paper. 
Then why not a room paper.? Room papers give 
news of the whole school, stories, jokes, even poems, 
just as a school paper does. It will have this ad- 
vantage, too, that you will be able to get more of 
your own writing accepted by it than by a paper to 
which the whole school contributes. Publication 
can be managed in several ways. In some places 
the paper is read aloud on publication day. In 
others, the material is put together and placed on 
the library table, and sometimes circulated at night. 
Some penmanship teachers permit the copying of 



30 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

the paper as penmanship practice, so that several 
copies of the paper can be made, and these are 
passed from hand to hand until all have read the 
week's issue. If the copy has been freed of errors 
and the copyists are required to be accurate, this 
latter plan is also good drill in spelling, capitali- 
zation, and punctuation. 
Study Come prepared to take your part in a fif teen-mmute 

discussion of the desirability and possibility of a 
paper in your room. If you decide that you wish 
to try one, you will probably need the remainder of 
the hour in*^ which to decide about the name of the 
paper, the editors, the division of work so that each 
may contribute something, and the dates and method 
of publication. If you are to be helpful in makmg 
these decisions, you need not only to have your own 
mind made up but also to have your reasons thought 
out so that you can present them convincingly. 

Before discussion starts, nominate and elect (by 
a show of hands) a chairman and secretary. Pupils 
wishing to speak must secure permission by address- 
ing the presiding officer— ISEr. Chairman, or Madam 
Chairman. Wlien any decision is to be made, the 
chairman will take a vote of the class. 



UoUl a 

husincHS 

meeting 



CHAPTER II 

14 

First Impressions 

Coffee is, I suppose, a pleasant drink. I have never met lifad 
anyone who did not hke the flavor of properly made coffee. ^^ ^^ ^ 
My tastes are normal ; I like, for the most part, what other 
people like. Yet coffee I cannot abide. More than once 
at a party or picnic I have made desperate efforts to empty 
my cup, but always unsuccessfully. 

The explanation of my dislike for coffee is quite simple. 
While I was a small child it was very properly forbidden 
me. Then one evening when we had company I strayed 
to the dining room and found a cup half full of coffee. 
It was cold and without sugar, but I was too curious to 
think about such details. I seized the cup and took a 
big mouthful. 

The disgust which that bitter dose excited has never 
died away; bitterness is still to me the dominant quality 
of coffee. That first impression has created an uncon- 
querable prejudice that keeps me from tasting the bever- 
age as it really is. 

In the same way you can see how your first im- pindyour 
pressions of people have colored all your views of v^^^^^ 
their later actions. In many a case your first im- 
pression of a book has determined whether you 
should like it or not. Your first impressions of 
various games and sports have determined more 
than have the characteristics of the games and 

[Books] 31 



iem 



32 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

sports whether you should like them. There are 
probably some things to eat that you think you dis- 
like, simply because your first impressions were so 
unfavorable that you have never tasted them again, 
or have tasted them only with your mind already 
made up that they are not good. A period devoted 
to recalling such first impressions, both favorable and 
unfavorable, will be interesting and impressive. 
Siiidy Prepare to tell the class some "first impression" 

anecdote. Because much of the effectiveness of your 
narrative will depend upon your choice of words, it 
will be well to make a list of adjectives and adverbs 
that you can use to advantage in telling your story. 
If you finish before the others, read the following 
account of how Thorpe, the great lumberman, gained 
a first impression of Jimmy Powers. After you have 
read the selection for enjoyment, reread it to discover 
words and expressions that are particularly vivid and 
forceful. 

Now we all liiid leisure to notice two things. First, the 
movement had not been of the whole jam, as we had at 
first supposed, but only of a block or section of it twenty 
rods or so in extent. Tluis between the part that had 
moved and the greater bulk that had not stirred hiy a hun- 
dred feet of open water in whieh floated a number of loose 
logs. The second fact was, that Dicky Darrell had fallen 
into that oi)en stretch of water and was in the act of sw im- 
miiig toward one of the floating logs. That nuich ^^e were 
given time to appreciate thoroughly. Then the other 
section of the jam rumbled and began to break. Roaring 
Dick was caught between two gigantic millstones moxing 
to crush him out of sight. 

.\n acti\(' figure darted down the tail of the first sec- 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 33 

tion, out over the floating logs, seized Darrell by the coat- 
collar, and so burdened began desperately to scale the 
very face of the breaking jam. 

Never was a more magnificent rescue. The logs were 
rolling, falling, diving against the laden man. He climbed 
as over a treadmill, a treadmill whose speed was constantly 
increasing. And when he finally gained the top, it was as 
the gap closed splintering beneath him and the man he had 
saved. 

It is not in the woodsman to be demonstrative at any 
time, but here was work demanding attention. Without a 
pause for breath or congratulation they turned to the neces- 
sity of the moment. The jam, the whole jam was moving 
at last. Jimmy Powers ran ashore for his peavie. Roar- 
ing Dick, like a demon incarnate, threw himself into the 
work. Forty men attacked the jam in a dozen places, 
encouraging the movement, twisting aside the timbers 
that threatened to lock anew, directing pigmy-like the 
titanic forces into the channel of their efficiency. Roar- 
ing like wild cattle the logs swept by, at first slowly, then 
with the railroad rush of the curbed freshet. Men were 
everywhere taking chances, like cowboys before the stam- 
peded herd. And so out of sight around the lower bend 
swept the front of the jam in a swirl of glory, the river men 
riding the great boom back of the creature they had sub- 
dued, until at last, with the slackening current, the logs 
floated by free, cannoning with hollow sound one against the 
other. A half-dozen watchers, leaning statuesquely on the 
shafts of their peavies watched the ordered ranks pass by. 

One by one the spectators departed. At last only my- 
self and the brown-faced young man remained. He sat 
on a stump, staring with sightless eyes into vacancy. I 
did not disturb his thoughts. 

The sun dipped. A cool breeze of evening sucked up the 
river. Over near the cook-camp a big fire commenced to 
crackle by the drying frames. At dusk the rivermen strag- 
gled in from the down-river trail. 



34 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

The brown-faced young man arose and went to meet 
them I saw him return in close conversation with Jimmy 
Powers. Before they reached us he had turned away with 
a gesture of farewell. 

Jimmy Powers stood looking after him long after his 
form had disappeared, and indeed even after the sound of 
his wheels had died toward town. As I approached the 
riverman turned to me a face from which the reckless 
contained self-reliance of the woods-worker had faded 
It was wide-eyed with an almost awe-stricken wonder and 
adoration. . ,11 

"Do you know who that is?" he asked me in a hushed 
voice "That's Thorpe, Harry Thorpe. And do you 
know what he said to me just now, me? He told me he 
wanted me to work in Camp One next winter, Thorpe s 
One. And he told me I was the first man he ever hired 
straight into One." 

His breath caught with something like a sob. 
I had heard of the man and of his methods. I knew he 
had made it a practice of recruiting for his prize camp only 
from the employees of his other camps, that as Jimmy 
said, he never "hired straight into One. I had heard, too, 
of his reputation among his own and other woodsmen 
But this was the first time I had ever come into personal 
contact with his influence. It impressed me the more in 
that I had come to know Jimmy Powers and his kind. 

"You deserve it, every bit," said I. "I'm not going to 
c'lll you a hero, because that would make you tired. » hat 
voudid this afternoon showed nerve. It was a brave act. 
But it was a better act because you rescued your enemy, 
because you forgot everytlung but your common humanity 

when danger " 

I broke off. Jimmy was again looking at me with Ins 
ironically (luizzical giin. 

"l^ub," said he, "if you're going lo hang any stars o 
Hrll.lel.em on my Christmas tree, just call a halt right 
here 1 didn't rescue that scalawag because 1 had any 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 35 

Christian sentiment, nary bit. I was just naturally 
savin' him for the birling match next Fourther July." 

— Stewart Edward White : Blazed Trail Stories} 

Choose speakers from the rows in turn. Appoint Tell your 
a vocabulary clerk to list on the blackboard inter- 
esting words and expressions used by different mem- 
bers of the class. 

Before any of the stories are told, appoint three Judge the 
judges to rate each one on the following points : * ^^*^* 

Content: 1. Did the speaker introduce details 

enough.^ The right ones.f^ 
2. Did the speaker keep strictly to his 

point .^ 
Style: 3. Did he tell incidents or details in their 

proper order .^^ 

4. Did he use to a reasonable extent 

complex sentences with properly 
placed modifiers .f^ 

5. Did he observe the rules of grammar 

that have been studied so far.^ 
Effect: 6. Was the story good enough to hold 
your attention without effort on your 
part.f^ 

Each speaker is to receive one point for every one 
of these questioris to which the judges can say yes. 
He may receive an extra point each for especial 
excellence in 1, 4, or 6. The highest possible score 
by any one judge would thus be 9; possible total 
score, 27. 

^Copyright by Doubleday, Page and Company. 



36 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

15 

Beginnings 

"Well begun is half done," the old adage runs. 
Does it apply to stories or only to tasks? This is 
but another way of asking whether the importance 
of the first impression is as great in a story as it is 
everywhere else. Is the beginning of a story es- 
pecially influential in deciding whether the reader 
shall like the story and how he shall understand it? 

Here are the beginnings of four stories. ^ATiich one 
would you prefer to read? 

1. One day last summer three of us boys started out 
from camp for an hour's fishing on the lake. We decided 
to take a canoe, because it would make less noise. 

2. Ralph won't speak to Jimmy and me even yet. We 
do not mind, for the more lie glares the more clearly we 
remember his embarrassment when he discovered the hoax. 

3. Our opportunity lay in the fact that Arthur could 
not swim and was always afraid of drowning. He was 
in tlie ])Ow of the skiff while Henry and I were behind 
him managing the oars. 

4. Allan had been sure that if we fished from a canoe 
we should have <^reat luck, but after an hour's steady work 
we had only two little sunfish to show. We were tired 
of such sport, and were looking for something else to do. 

In what way is the one which most interests you 
different from the others? From which ones can 
yon tell most about the story that is to come? Do 
you think the length of the first sentences makes 
any diircrcncc? Which beginning is the most sur- 
prising ()i- slriking? Is this an advantage? 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 37 

Examine some good stories from your literature 
text or from English in Service, Book I. Are the 
beginnings good — that is, do they help much in 
creating the impression the stories are intended to 
give? Now consider the narrative in this chapter 
about coffee. Try to frame a better beginning for 
it. 

One teacher, when asked to tell how he thought 
stories should begin, gave these four points : 

1. The first sentence should indicate the nature of 
the story to follow. This it may do either by summar- 
izing the story or by plunging at once into the significant 
action of the story. 

2. The first sentence should usually be short. 

3. The first sentence should be slightly unusual in 
order to catch the attention of indifferent readers. This 
unusualness should be chiefly in the thought. 

4. The sensational beginning does not pay unless the 
story is equally sensational. 

His statement can, I am sure, be improved. 
What change would you make in it.^ Talk the matter 
over in class. 

Before the conclusion of the period, try to formu- £^^^«^- 
late two or three guiding principles for first senten- 
ces. Write these on the blackboard. 

16 

Comedies 



ize 



A mouse, girls, a mouse ! 

Snakes!!! Find your 

Jiggers, fellows! 

Sh-h-!Sh-h-h-! 

April Fool! 



problem 



38 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

These exclamations suggest action, and situations 
— comical ones for the most part. Tell the story 
which preceded or followed one of them. 
Study First go over the outline of your story in your 

mind and then tell the story to yourself as carefully 
and fully as if you were telling it to the class. Can 
you profit by your recent study of effective be- 
ginnings.^ It might be a good thing to experiment 
with several ways of opening your story and then to 
choose the most satisfactory one. Make it as vig- 
orous and suggestive as you can without becoming 
artificial and theatrical. You want your first sen- 
tence to center attention upon what is to follow, not 
upon itself. 

If you finish before the others, read these be- 
ginnings of long stories. Be able to tell which one 
attracts you most and why it does. 

Marlcy was dead to begin with. There is no doubt 
whatever about that. The register of his burial was 
signed by the clergyman, the clerk, tlie undertaker, and 
the chief mourner. 

— Charlp:s Dickens: A Christmas Carol. 

The full truth of lliis odd matter is what the world has 
been looking for and public curiosity is sure to welcome. 
— RoBEUT Lons Stevenson: The Master of Ballantrae. 

There was an unwont(Ml })uzzing in the east end of 
Stratford on that next to the last day of April, 159(5. It 
was as if someone had thrust a stick into a hive of bees 
and they had come whirling out to see. 

— John Bennett: Master Skylark. 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 39 

Just as many stories may be told as the time will Tell your 
permit. Perhaps it would be a good plan to draw 
numbers to determine the order of the speakers. 

Before you tell your story, choose your own critic, J^^^o^ ^^^ 
who will write out favorable and unfavorable criti- 
cisms upon your work, and give you his written 
comments. Two clerks might be appointed to 
record opening sentences on the blackboard so that 
at the close of the lesson the class may decide which 
pupils have begun their stories in the most effective 
way. 

17 

Choosing a Vocation 

Have you ever thought about your own future and ji^^^ 
what occupation you mean to engage in.^^ The world silently 
is such a big place and there are so many possible 
paths that anyone who has not a very definite aim 
is almost sure to get lost and after a deal of struggle 
and weary plodding find that he is little nearer to real 
success than he was when he started. 

Even in your school work you will profit by having 
a definite idea of your future occupation. All the 
more desirable occupations are very complex and 
d*emand the learning of a great many facts and the 
acquisition of considerable skill of one kind or another. 
The sooner you start to get this special knowledge 
and skill, the earlier and more certain will be your 
rise in your business or profession. 

This does not mean, however, that you ought now 
or soon to be taking specialized courses. That would 
make you too narrow, either for business or for lei- 



40 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

sure. The specialist's knowledge is untrustworthy 
unless it is based upon a large fund of general in- 
formation. Besides, while work is very important, 
it is not all of life. The man who knows nothing but 
his business must be a poor companion, even for him- 
self, when the close of business hours puts an end to 
his labor. Men of wide experience and acquaintance 
say that those who can possibly go to college ought 
not to devote themselves entirely to any one field 
until they have finished the high school. They even 
say that those who can afford special professional 
preparation after the four years of college should 
take a broad course in college. Only those who must 
should begin to specialize in the high school. 

Why, then, all this ado about choosing a vocation.^ 
Because the vocation, when it has been chosen, con- 
stitutes a center of intense interest around which 
information gathers and clings, seemingly of itself. 
The boy who is planning to be an electrical engineer 
will get more out of his physics and mathematics 
because he knows he will make practical use of the 
information; and his interest in history and literature 
will not be decreased a whit. The girl who expects 
to become a physician will learn more in physiology 
and biology classes than will her sister who has no 
idea what her occupation will be, and quite as much 
in mathematics and French. There is no need to 
multiply examples. You see the point. 
Find your Choosing a vocation, however, is a very important 
general j^j-^^j (^Jiffi^^^ii^ matter. So nuicli of prosperitv and 

-problem ^ . 

happiness depends upon the correctness of the choice 
that it should be made deliberately and thoughtfully 



[ Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 41 

after careful investigation of the possibilities. Even 
if you think your mind is already made up, it will pay 
to make sure that you are not acting upon mere whim 
or insufficient information. Most of the investigat- 
ing and thinking, you must do for yourself; but you 
may get valuable assistance from comparing notes 
with others who are facing the same problem and who 
may come upon information which did not lie in your 
path or which you overlooked. That is to say, you 
and your classmates can profitably study vocations 
together while you are engaged in making your 
choices. Your teacher, too, will be helpful in sug- 
gesting readings and methods of work and in criticiz- 
ing your thinking. 

Now just how shall you go about this study .^ Of Find your 
course this book could give you positive and minute pwhlem 
directions, but that would rob you of the chance to 
plan your own work; so the book contains no de- 
tailed directions. Prepare to help make a plan for 
the cooperative study of vocations by the members 
of your class. Plan to spend as much time upon that 
study as your class can profitably use. The topic is 
broad enough and important enough to occupy the 
remainder of the year. Make up your own mind 
as definitely as you can concerning the time to be 
devoted to this study and the field to be covered. 
Prepare to persuade others to accept your conclu- 
sions. 

Here are some things to think about: 1. What Study 
do we need to know about any vocation .^^ How many 
vocations do we need to investigate .^^ 2. Shall each 
individual choose his own part or shall it be assigned 



Diiicuss in 
class 



4^2 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

to him? Shall each study a different phase of the 
same vocation, so that it may be thoroughly can- 
vassed in a recitation or two, or shall all make parallel 
studies of different vocations? 3. How can facts 
be collected? (Think how the politician, the doctor, 
the historian, get their facts.) 4. What shall we do 
first, second, third? How can class reports and 
discussions be handled best? 5. Shall the class at- 
tempt any study of the capacities of its members for 
the various occupations? Before arriving at any 
definite decisions as to procedure, think about the 
matter over night. 

The English period tomorrow will be devoted to 
just these two questions: 1. In order to decide in- 
telligently whether we care to enter upon any vo- 
cation, what do we need to know about it? 2. How 
can we as a group inform ourselves most easily and 
fully upon these points? 

A class secretary may write the two problems for 
discussion on the board. As points are discussed the 
teacher will put them to a vote and each jwint ac- 
cepted may be listed on the board also. These 
points should become, after a little rearranging, an 
outline of the ])lau of study to be followed by the 
class. ]\rake a copy of this i)lau and ])ut it away for 
consideration in a few days when you can think of the 
whole matter freshly. If sonu^ menilxM- of the class 
will write to the Superintendent of Documents, 
(lovernnieiit Printing Ofliee, Washington, D. (\, for 
a copy of Bureau of Kdueation BuUchu 1<)1S, .Vo. /.^ 
entitled " Vocal ionaKinidancvin Secondary Schools," 
you will recrivr a panii)hl(^t which contains a good 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 43 

outline for the study of a vocation. It will be inter- 
esting to compare this outline with the one made in 
class. The price of the bulletin is five cents. 

18 

The Series Comma 

You have been using periods for a good many ^tudy 
years. You have even been told, and probably be- ^^^ 
lieve, that the most serious error you can make in 
writing is to omit periods or put them in the wrong 
place. They are used to separate sentences, be- 
cause the reader must understand one sentence at a 
time. 

Periods are the simplest and most important marks 
of punctuation, but the principle in all punctuation 
is just the same. The various marks are used to 
separate expressions which stand next to each other 
but which are not to be grouped together by the reader. 
The kind of mark used indicates the degree of the 
separation between the two expressions. 

Commas are the commonest marks of punctuation, 
probably because they denote the slightest degree of 
separation. A great many rules for their use might 
be given, but most of these would only confuse you in 
your early study of the matter. Moreover, about 
some of these rules there is considerable disagreement 
among authorities on the subject. In this book, 
therefore, only a very few of the simplest and most 
necessary rules will be presented. 

You will readily see the need of commas in these 
sentences : 



44 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

1. John Henry and Alice (3 persons) have new skates. 

2. Oranges lemons and grapefruit will grow only in 

warm climates. 

3. He threw out the clutch put on the brake and 

sounded his horn furiously. 

4. We have extra-stout extra-long and over-size suits 

to fit fat men thin men and big men. 

In each of these examples there is a series of words 
or expressions used in just the same w^ay in the sen- 
tence. By inserting commas between the members 
of each series we can make the sentences easier to 
read and the meaning more definite. Compare these 
punctuated forms with the unpunctuated ones above: 

1. John, Henry, and Alice have new skates. 

2. Oranges, lemons, and grapefruit will grow only in 

warm climates. 

3. He threw out the clutch, put on the brake, and 

sounded his horn furiously. 

4. We have extra-stout, extra -long, and over-size suits 

for fat men, thin men, and big men. 

Commas are used to separate the members of a 
series of words, phrases, or clauses which are used in 
just the same way in the sentence. 

Note that a comma precedes the last member of 
the series even when a conjunction also precedes it; 
there are commas after Henry, lemons, brake, extra- 
long, fliin incfi, and (in the rule itself) phrases. 

Two words or phrases constitute a series if no 
conjunction is used — e. g., Lazj/, indifferent clerks 
never become merchants. In this case both Idz// and 
indifferent describe clerk. The poor old max eould 
seareeljj iralk does not illustrate the rule or require 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 45 

any comma. Old describes man and 'poor describes 
the old man; old and poor are not used in just the 
same way in the sentence. 

Read over the following sentences and decide where ^^^^^ 
commas should be inserted. If you are doubtful 
about any case, ask your teacher for help. 

1. I like apples pears and oranges equally well. 

2. The only sure way to wealth is to work hard to spend 

little and to invest wisely. 

3. A successful detective can frequently speak Italian 

German French and Polish, besides English. 

4. Everywhere I look — on the bulletin boards on the 

walls of the buildings on the sidewalks on the 
pavement of the streets even on the airplanes pass- 
ing over — I see this same advertisement. 

5. My pursuer was constantly coming closer closer, 

until he could just touch the back of my jacket. 

6. Any great improvement in one's speech can come 

only through carefulness early and late at work 
and at play at home and abroad. 

7. When Terry saw Bill coming he winked at me mo- 

tioned to Harold to follow him and slipped 
quickly out the door. 

8. Money power and fame are all much less important 

than health. 

9. Every one is fascinated by her beauty surprised by 

her wit and entirely won by her sweet disposition. 

10. Try try again if you wish to succeed. 

11. The material Margaret purchased was the softest in 

texture the prettiest in color and altogether the 
most satisfactory for the price. 

12. They finally convinced me that Florence Janet and 

Elsie had planned the party. 

13. The brightest most effective and most important 

speech was unintentionally given a poor place on 
the program. 



46 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

14. Their plan was to start at six-thirty in the morning 

spend the day at Hillcrest and return to the city 
at nightfall. 

15. To go home with Helen to spend the time shopping 

and to attend the matinee were the three sugges- 
tions offered. 

Your teacher will dictate some of the preceding 
sentences to you. Punctuate them as you write. 

If you did not succeed as well as you should have 
in punctuating the dictated sentences, you had 
better use the following sentences for additional 
practice. 

16. Mother told me how she my father and my brother 

had looked for me in the fields. 

17. You will find the Standard the Randall and the Tri- 

angle equally satisfactory. 

18. Then came the long procession of wagons engine and 

grain separator. 

19. Please report on the Monday meeting of the Civics 

Club the art project undertaken by the Ivcague or 
the program of the Athletic Club. 

20. I hope you will not be so foolish as to invest your 

father's earnings your sister's savings and your own 
hard-earned funds in that get-rich-quick scheme. 

21. Please insert in The Star The Transeript and The 

Chroniele an achcrtiscnicnt of ladies' misses' and 
cliildrcn's dresses. 

22. The girls were dressed in the long loose fiowing robes 

so much in vogue at that time. 

23. My two sisters my motlu^r and I wc^rc going to 

Micliigan on th(^ boat wliicli left at nine o'clock. 

24. He fonnd (•o!nl)s jeweh-y and tlircc j)urs(\s. 

2.5. A half block in front of mc I saw a red handana hand- 
kerchief a very ugly face and a large flowing green 
and red dress. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 47 

26. One day my cousins my brother and I decided to take 

a hike. 

27. There were about 300 Centrahtes out for the first 

game of the season perhaps 200 L. G.'s and an 
equal number of visitors. 

28. The program included a vocal solo by Mrs. Treman 

a reading by Miss Lanyon and a piano solo by Mr. 
Smith. 

It is a good plan to start a little scrapbook of clip- ^to.'rt « 
pings illustrating correct usage in punctuation. Find 
in the newspaper or in some magazine at home as 
many illustrations as you can of this use of the 
comma. Paste the clippings neatly into your book 
under the heading "The Use of Commas in Series." 
As you learn other rules, add to your scrapbook. 
Give some little thought to arranging and labeling your 
examples — e. g., put your illustrations of series of 
words together, of series of phrases together, and so on. 

19 

Work That I Enjoyed 

There is a story that Thomas A. Edison once be- Read 
came so deeply interested in a problem on which he was *^^^^% 
at work in his laboratory that he forgot to attend his 
own wedding. Edison stoutly denies this story, but 
admits that he has frequently worked forty-eight 
hours or even longer without sleep and with only such 
meals as he could eat while going about his shop. 
Dreadful, isn't it! Edison would hardly agree. He 
worked so hard because he enjoyed it, because just 
then he would rather do that than anything else. 
When his inventions had made him a millionaire. 



48 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

he still worked in the same way; so the reason must 
have been the fun of the thing. 
Find your If you will be honest with yourself, you will call to 
^^° mind pieces of work which you have really enjoyed — - 

solving a problem in mathematics, tracing the re- 
sults of a war, finding out why Pittsburgh is such a 
great steel center; helping your parents to move the 
household goods, assisting to repair the automobile, 
writing some of father's letters, or taking your part 
in some other adult undertaking; making a roller 
coaster, a playhouse, or a doll dress — something to be 
used later in your play. Write such a vivid account 
of some work which you have enjoyed that your 
classmates may share in your pleasure. 
Write Outline your story by jotting down notes of just 

what you mean to tell. Then think out an effective 
beginning sentence and have in mind some particu- 
larly suitable descriptive words, both adjectives and 
adverbs, that you can use in the narration. Write 
the story swiftly. Road it over to see that it shows 
clearly why the work was enjoyable. When you 
have made a clear, neat copy, examine each sentence 
and insert any desirable punctuation. 

If you finish before the others, use whatever time 
is left to read this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. 
Possibly you will have time to memorize it. 

For still the Lord is Lord of iniglit; 
In deeds, in deeds he takes delight; 
The plougli, the spear, the laden barks, 
The field, the founded eity marks; 
lie marks the smilcr of tho streets, 
The singer upon garden seats; 



[ Book 2 \ ENGLISH IN SERVICE 49 

He sees the climber in the rocks; 
To him, the shepherd folds his flocks 
For those he loves that underprop 
With daily virtues Heaven's top 
And bear the falling sky with ease, 
Unfrowning caryatides. 
Those he approves that ply the trade. 
That rock the child, that wed the maid, 
That with weak virtues, weaker hands, 
Sow gladness on the peopled lands. 
And still with laughter, song and shout. 
Spin the great wheel of earth about. ^ 

Let every member of the class write his name and Tell your 
the topic of his story on a slip of paper. A secretary * ^^*^* 
may collect these and list the titles on the blackboard. 
It will be interesting to see the different kinds of work 
represented in the class. The class may decide by 
motion which six of the stories they would like to 
hear. If many more topics look interesting, perhaps 
they may be circulated for silent reading in the class 
period, or fastened into a notebook cover for reading 
at other times. 

Each story read aloud may be judged very simply : Judge the 
Did it succeed in making the work seem enjoy able .^^ 
If the stories are read, not by their authors, but by 
other pupils, the readers may comment upon the 
helpfulness of the punctuation. 

20 

Quoting 

When Hilda was learning to speak she began by using Uead 
one word as a whole sentence. When she wanted my ^'^^^^^^ 
^By permission of the publishers, Charles Scribner's Sons. 



50 ENGLISH IN SER^^CE [ Book 2 ] 

hat she said simply hat and reached for it. When she was 

hungry she said bekshast and when she was thirsty she 
said nink. After a time she learned to put two words to- 
gether. After getting something from the next room for 
mother she said good baby. When she was tired of her 
doll she said dolly 'way. Then she learned to use the 
complete imperative sentence. Come on, Tissie, is the 
first one that I remember. About the same time she said 
papa, take, meaning for father to take her, but it was a 
long time before she learned to say baby wants breakfast, 
and Tissie brought it. 

Just what did Hilda say? As the paragraph is 
printed this question is hard to answer. The ab- 
sence of the usual marks to set off what she said 
makes the whole account rather difficult to read and 
less interesting than it would otherwise be. 

WTienever you undertake to write a story, you will 
want to use conversation to add to the interest. 
Direct conversation necessitates the use of quotation 
marks. If you are not quite sure how the quotation 
marks should be used, look at any well-printed story. 
What do the quotation marks enclose.^ Is any other 
mark used with them.^ Does the other mark come 
before or after the quotation mark.^ 

Now tell where the punctuation should appear in 
the paragraph about Hilda. 

Every direct quotation, the exact words of the 
person quoted, is enclosed in quotation marks. No 
other words are included. If the ideas of the person 
quoted are given in words ever so little diflVrent from 
those he used, we say tliat the ({notation is indirect. 
In indirect ({uotations the cpiotation marks are not 
used. Tlie direct quotation is further set off from 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 51 

the rest of the sentence by a comma or com- 
mas. Both at the beginning and at the end of 
the quotation the comma precedes the quotation 
mark. When a whole sentence is quoted, it begins 
with a capital just as it would if it stood alone. 

I said, "You must come if you possibly can." 
"I will come," said John, "if I possibly can." 
John said he would come if he possibly could. 
John will come, I think, if he possibly can. 
*'Will you come, John?" I asked. 

All these sentences are correctly punctuated. Ex- 
plain by means of the statements in the preceding 
paragraph why they are treated as they are. 

Examine the following sentences to determine where Study 
punctuation is needed. Be ready to explain your 
decision if you are asked to do so. 

1. The lecturer began by saying Ladies and Gentlemen 

I am most happy to be here tonight. 

2. My father's first question was where did you leave it? 

3. I left it I said on the street car. 

4. Well well I must be going Santa Glaus said. 

5. Now that you have begun said the teacher you may 

as well finish the story. 

6. The lawyer asked me why I left it there. 

7. A small boy ran down the street yelling fire! fire! 

fire ! at the top of his voice. 

8. Walter asked me whether I was going home soon. 

9. Just then the train caller's voice sang out New York 

Central for Albany Buffalo Niagara Falls Detroit 
and Chicago. Train on track four. 
10. David began to repeat bravely fourscore and seven 
years ago our fathers— but stopped suddenly as he 
realized that everybody was looking at him. 



52 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

11. AVhen I told mother about the call she laughed and 

said the boys must have some fun. 

12. Oh by the way he remarked where is your brother 

today .^ 

13. What's this all about I inquired. 

14. One of the boys said oh that's just a heat storm. 

15. If you wish to do me a favor said Mrs. Elmore 

please take this note to Mrs. Cannon. 

Each of the preceding sentences will be WTitten on 
the board and punctuated by a member of the class. 
The whole class will then check the work. 

Unless you are quite sure that you know how to 
use quotation marks and commas to mark direct 
quotations, copy these sentences with the proper 
punctuation and submit them to your teacher for 
checking : 

1. That's enough said someone. 

2. He asked how long have you known Dr. Corbin? 

3. Mabel said that she would be home as promptly as 

possible. 

4. My sister heard a voice behind her say hello. 

5. To do what you request he replied would necessitate 

my remaining in Keokuk for another week. 

6. When tlie performance was over mother reached over 

and said licrc Al})crt is your coat and hat. 

7. I said to one of my companions don't you wish you 

could go on the island in the middle? 

8. Ellen said that we shoukl look at her list if we did 

not believe tlu^ report. 

9. I became badly scared and yelled help help! 

10. He said can't you see there is a chicken on the track? 

11. Mr. Jones was not |>resent said the editor and if he 

had been would not I'm sure have made such a 
statement. 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 53 

12. Mother said that she had told me many times to be 

careful when I came from that direction. 

13. Hello said the party at the telephone I'm calling for 

Mr. Brown. 

14. He went to the football game to-day replied Harold. 

15. Come in said a voice. 

Write two sentences in which a direct quotation Write on 
follows said or some similar verb. ^"^^^ 

Write two sentences in which the quotation comes 
first. 

Write three sentences each containing an indirect 
quotation. 

Write three sentences in which the quotation is 
interrupted by said he or some similar expression. 

If you finish before the others, clip from the maga- 
zines and papers on the table three examples of the 
use of quotation marks and paste them in your note- 
book for reference. Try to find examples in which 
the verb of saying is differently placed. 

Your teacher will divide the class into groups of Correct 
three or five, and each pupil will check the punctua- jtayers 
tion of the sentences written by all the other members 
of his group. Any disagreements are to be re- 
ported at once to the teacher for settlement by the 
class. 

21 

An Instance of Courage 

Kate Barlass 

James I was one of the best of the kings who ruled Read 
Scotland when it was an independent country. He was ^^^^^V 



54 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

not, however, very popular. He had compelled the turbu- 
lent nobles to respect the law of the land and so had earned 
their ill will. The taxes which he had been compelled to 
levy had cooled the affection of the common people. So 
it happened that when he announced that he would keep 
the Christmas feast at Perth, away from his castle, his 
enemies planned to assassinate him. 

During the evening unfaithful servants removed the 
King's sword from its scabbard and the heavy wooden bar 
by which the door of his chamber was secured from the 
brackets in which it rested. Late at night when the 
courtiers had retired and only the queen and a few of her 
ladies were left with the King, his enemies were admitted 
to the building. When the royal party heard the attackers 
coming, the ladies all tried to help the King escape, for it 
was only the King who was in great danger. Queen 
Joanna pointed to a traj) door in the floor but when they 
tried to raise it, it stuck. Slowly it yielded, but the men 
could be heard in the corridor. Moments were precious. 
Then Katherine Douglas stepped to the door and thrust 
her own arm through the fastening that should have held 
the bar. The assassins rushed against the door, and 
of course very shortly broke Katherine's arm and burst 
into the room, but the few seconds they were delayed had 
proved enough for the King to raise the trap door and 
escape for the time. Ever afterward Katherine was known 
as Kate Barlass.^ 

Take two or three minutes just to recall the names 
of men and women, or even children, who have dis- 
played unusual courage. Probably among the first 
you will think of will be Leonidas, David, Arnold Von 
Winkelried, Joan of Arc, Columbus, Daniel, Dr. Live- 
sey, Hali)li Hartsook, William Lloyd (iarrison, Abra- 
bam Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Jean Valjean. 

'Can you see why IJelgiuin is .sometimes spoken of as tlie Rarlass? 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE b^ 

There are many other well-known doers of heroic 
deeds in history and fiction, and yet more whose deeds 
have never been published. Perhaps you know of 
someone who braved ridicule or unjust criticism in 
order to do what he thought was right. 

During the coming week make yourself familiar Find your 
with the details of some courageous act and be pre- 
pared to write in class time as vivid an account of it 
as you can. If you can tell of a heroic deed in some 
life which most people have called merely political 
or mercantile, your paper will be the more interesting 
when it is passed around for others to read. All 
the papers may be bound into a "Book of Brave 
Deeds." 

If your story is to be worthy of the deed which it ^^^t^ 
relates, it not only must be told in an inspiring way, 
but its expression must be dignified and polished. 
Try to use a vocabulary a little more unusual than 
that of your personal stories. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
account of a trying incident in the life of the great 
Scotch essayist and historian, Thomas Carlyle. Is 
this an example of courage.^ Be able to explain 
why. 

In this June of 1834 he [Carlyle] was putting his fortune 
to a final test. He had sold all his belongings at Craigen- 
puttock except enough to furnish this London house. The 
thousand dollars in liand would with strict economy keep 
them going for a year. By that time he must finish the 
book he had decided upon for his supreme effort, the 
French Revolution. 

If it succeeded, his years of persistence were justified. 



50 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

If not, he had resolved to cut loose from it all, abandon 
literature, and with spade and rifle seek happier fortune 
in some frontier region of America. 

In this mood of "Do or perish" he plunged into the 
study of his subject. He was a most conscientious wTiter 
and terribly in earnest: every fact must be verified, every 
conclusion sustained. The subject was "high and huge.'* 
Hundreds of books and pamphlets, borrowed from friends 
or at the Museum library, had to be studied and digested. 
Days were spent in looking for authentic pictures. 

This relentless and taxing research was carried on with 
almost no relief of friendly intercourse, under a crushing 
sense of the gravity of the situation, where not a sixpence 
was coming in, and each week saw their little capital 
dwindle. 

Months of reading and making notes and thinking left 
his elusive subject still vague and perplexing in his mind; 
yet time was flying and he must get ahead. 

In September he wrote that after "two weeks of blotch- 
ing and bloring" he had actually produced two clean pages 
of manuscript ! 

As he went on he began to "crush the secret " out of the 
facts he had gathered about that "wild tornado." It 
loomed larger and more meaningful than ever. He threw 
all his energies, the ripe thoughts of many years, into the 
story. Through sickness and depression he stuck to it 
like a bur. 

And in spite of occasional doi)rcssi()n, lie knew tliat it 
was good, his best so far, without falsehood or triviality 
so far as in him lay. His genius recognized itself. This 
was a real thing, a work of true literary art that was so 
painfully shaping itself beneath his pen. 

On February 7, the first volume was finished. Seven 
months of his year were gone. Over half his capital was 
spcFit — and for practically two years his writings had 
brought him nothing. 

lie put the chapters of his precious manuscrij)t into the 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 57 

hands of a friend, John Stuart Mill, for criticism and sug- 
gestion. 

A month later Carlyle was sitting with his wife one 
evening in the Cheyne Row House. . . . They heard 
a rap at the front door. Hurried footsteps came up the 
stairs. 

The door of the sitting-room was thrust open and their 
good friend Mill entered. Deadly pale, he tried to speak, 
but no sounds came. 

*' Why, Mill," said Carlyle, "what ails ye, man? What 
isit.P" 

The visitor staggered, and Carlyle supported him with 
his arm. The picture of desperation, he informed Carlyle 
in broken sentences that the manuscript of the first volume 
entrusted to him had been destroyed. Left out in too 
careless a manner, it had been torn up as waste paper by 
a servant and burned: nothing was left but four or five 
bits of leaves. 

Ruskin once said to Froude that Carlyle was "born in 
the clouds and struck by lightning." 

The literal fulfillment of this expression would hardly 
have been a more terrific shock than this news. He had 
put his very soul into that manuscript, months of stead- 
fast, excessive, sickly toil. He had used up half of his 
allotted year in the face of the difficulties briefly referred 
to. As was his custom, even his notes had been destroyed. 
The whole thing was just wiped out; and the end of his 
money was but a little way ahead. 

But irritable as Thomas Carlyle often was under the 
pin-pricks of the daily routine, when it came to great 
matters he had the bigness and resistance of a mountain. 

His first thought seemed to be of what Mill himself 
must be going through. He minimized the loss, and pres- 
ently led the conversation to other topics. . . . 

As they heard the front door close, Carlyle said to his 
wife: "Well, Mill, poor fellow, is terribly cut up; we must 



58 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

endeavor to hide from him how very serious this business 
is to us." 

That was a bad night for Thomas Carlj'le. He knew 
only too well that he had forgotten the whole structure 
of this first section, that it would be impossible to regain 
the same white-hot spirit that had given it birth. He 
seemed the plaything of malignant powers. Trying to 
sleep, strange dreams of horror haunted him; something 
seemed to grip his heart tight, with hard, cutting pressure. 

Next day he wrote in his journal: "I have determined 
so far that I can still write a book of the French Revolu- 
tion and will do it. . . . I will not quit the game while 
faculty is given me to try playing."^ 

— Lanier : The Book of Bravery. 



Judge the When the stories are in the best possible form, hand 
s ones j^}jgiYi to youF teacher, who will give hints for making 
the accounts more dignified or more vivid as well as 
point out any conspicuous errors. When the papers 
are returned, make such improvements as you can 
before handing them in to be bound as was suggested. 
Choose a committee of five readers, each of whom will 
take the book home one night and select a story to 
read aloud to the class the next da3\ In this way 
the Hve most interesting stories will be presented. 
Then ask another committee of three to consider 
the ex})ression of the stories, writing at the top of 
each one as inconspicuously as possible two or three 
of the unusual words or expressions it contains. 
A vocabulary clerk may make a list of all these 
words, the list to be used as the basis of a vocabulary 
match. 



I'scd hy pcTinissioM of (liarlrs Scrihiicr's Sons, 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 59 

22 

Marking the Members 

The members of compound sentences are usually ^^'^^y 
separated by commas. Some good writers almost 
always put commas between the members of a 
compound sentence, and others, equally good, do it 
but rarely. There are some sentences in which the 
separation between the two parts is so sharp that it 
should be marked by some sort of punctuation. 
There are certain others in which the connection is 
so close that to separate the two parts by commas is 
confusing rather than helpful. Between these ex- 
tremes lie a great many sentences — probably the 
majority — in which it does not matter very much 
whether commas are used or not. In these one may 
follow his individual taste. 

Here are some instances of separation which are 
so sharp as to require marking: 

1. John is usually a good boy, but to-day he has been 

a great trial to his mother. 

2. I am going to do my best, and I am sure you will 

not expect anything more. 

3. I have been here three years, yet I am getting but 

fifteen dollars a week. 

In these sentences the connection between the 
members is so close that very few authorities would 
think commas helpful : 

1. I went down and he went up at the same time. 

2. Simpkins furnished the money and Wiltgen ran the 

business. 



6Q ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 

3. With his left hand he held Howard and with his 
right he waved to me. 

TForA- CO- Take a column of the daily paper or a page of a 

^immjthe rnagazine and observe the punctuation of the com- 

blackboard pound Sentences. Report your findings to the class 

and paste your clippings into your punctuation book. 

To make sure that you know how^ to punctuate 

compound sentences, study the following examples 

and make up your mind where commas are needed. 

Five minutes w^ill be allowed for this. At the end of 

that time your teacher will call upon various pupils 

to tell which sentences require commas and after 

w^hat words the commas should stand. 

1. Some couldn't find their shoes one couldn't find hair- 

pins and another was all tangled up in blankets. 

2. John argued for a trip to the Dunes Mary for an 

all-day ja^mt to Elmgrove and Gladys for a quiet 
day at home. 

3. One guidepost directed us to turn to the left another 

to go straiglit ahead and the third to turn to the 
right. 

4. I have spent a good many years studying tliat ques- 

tion and I feel my point of view is the right one. 

5. We had arranged to leave at eight-thirty but nine 

o'clock came and no boat was in siglit. 
0. I was })ai(l fifty cents for my labor but I had several 
dollars' worth of fun. 

7. We were unfortunate in our choice^ of workers yet we 

arc not far l)ehind the other t<'ani. 

8. Ix^t me know what you plan to do and also please 

give me some idea of Mabel's j)lans for the sunuuer. 
0. I thought I was locked in but if I had turned a little 
knob I could have gotten out very easily. 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 61 

10. We all hung on to the raft and as Sue was as heavy 

as we were she balanced the raft. 

11. The third time she did this I didn't jump quickly 

enough and the raft turned over but fortunately 
we all escaped. 

12. I was very tired of waiting and I think I fell asleep. 

13. After much screaming and excitement mother came 

into the room and I discovered it was the shadow 
of the tree. 

14. There is nothing particularly new in the book but 

the general reader will find in it a good review of 
everything which has appeared on that subject. 

15. Shall we follow the plan suggested by Myrtle or shall 

we follow the longer and more complicated one 
proposed by John? 

16. An Italian discovered America, the Spanish claimed 

it, the French explored it, but the English set- 
tled it. 

17. The old man said I have had to work hard all my 

life and now I do not know how to play. 

18. It is true that he promised to pay me but that was 

before his house burned down. 

19. Reading nursery rhymes does not require close at- 

tention and so I frequently become very sleepy 
while I am reading to my baby brother. 

20. Laura may have misunderstood your directions or 

she may have thought she knew a shorter way to 
come. 

21. I will come if you insist but I really should go home. 

23 

I'd Like to Do It Again 

Of all the experiences I ever had the one I should most 
like to repeat was . 

How would you finish the sentence.^ Describe the Find your 
experience in such a way that your friends will see ^^^ ^^ 



oj class 



62 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 

without any direct explanation on your part wliy you 
would like to repeat the experience. You may be 
sure they will be not merely interested but pleased by 
the narrative. Besides, you will to a very great ex- 
tent relive the desirable experience. 
Study out Think out your story, rehearsing it in actual sen- 
tences. Then review the principles you have learned 
in the English class this year and last to discover 
how you can make your story more interesting, 
more vigorous, more pleasing. Make use of these 
principles in writing out your story. When you 
have finished, go over your paper carefully to make 
sure punctuation has been used to help the reader 
as much as possible. 

If you have time, see whether you can explain 
what kind of experience each of the following sug- 
gests : 

jolly 

profitable 

einbarrassing 

delightful ) experience 

unusual 

uiK'oinfortable 

baffling' 



J\ii\(jc the 
stones 



Each row acro.s's the room will form a team. Each 
puj)il will read the stories of all his team mates 
and then the team will choose the best — the one 
readers have enjoyed most — to be read aloud. 
After each story has been read and its points of 
exeellcnee discussed, the class may decide what one 
adjective best describes theex])erieuee related. These 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 63 

adjectives may be listed on the blackboard in this 
way: 



Henry R An exciting experience 

Martha K A lively experience 



Read 
silently 



24 

Bumping the Bumps 

Bumping the bumps was certainly great sport. It 
amused the spectators and fascinated the "bumpers." A 
slide about thirty feet long and inclined about thirty de- 
grees was built of matched and polished maple flooring. 
Upon this at apparently accidental places were large and 
small "bumps" or mounds of the same material. The 
players sat down upon strips of carpet at the top, let loose, 
and coasted down the incline — over the bumps. Before 
starting down, I studied the field and decided that the 
easiest course would be directly over the center of the two 
largest bumps. So I placed my carpet directly above them 
and set sail. I struck the first one squarely. I was going 
faster than I had expected and the smooth mound just 
shot me off into the air so that I really fell about two feet 
before I struck the slide again. As I went up I must have 
waved my arms and legs. At any rate, I partly lost my bal- 
ance and turned slightly aside from my intended course. 
I struck the side of the second bump and so was com- 
pletely upset and thrown over a smaller one which slowed 
my feet and caused me to finish my journey head first. 



Would this account be improved by adding the Discuss in 
following sentence .f^ ^^** 

One who has not seen it would think one trial was 
enough, but I have always been eager to prove that there 
is a way to come down without upsets or hard bumps. 



64 ENGLISH IN SEm^CE [ Book 2 ] 

How would this ending affect the reader? 

The first trial was not very successful, but the problem 
of choosing the best way over those bumps has something 
of the interest of a puzzle. One always expects to do 
better next time. 

Perhaps this would be an improvement.^ 

I don't suppose I looked very dignified, but it was fun 
just the same. I think bumping the bumps is all right 
and I should like to try it again. Maybe Til have another 
chance some day. If I have, yo i may be sure I shall take 
advantage of it. 

Decide which of these is best, and why.'^ Look 
back at the other narratives in the part of this text 
which you have studied and decide whether they 
ended well or not. Try before class time to work 
out a statement of wliat makes a good ending or a 
poor one. Perhaps you will be helped in this by 
thinking of the way we like to end a meal, of the 
way musical compositions — even instrumental — 
end, of the final scenes in good plays you have 
attended. 

How important do you think the ending is.' As 
important as the beginning.'^ ^Vhy.' ^^^lich is 
easier to manage? 

25 

Once Only 

Write \()\\ may think it worth whik* to write out the 

story of an experience you would not care to repeat, 
and to experinu^nt with en(h"ngs until you get one 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 65 

that pleases you. When you are satisfied with 
your story, make sure of your punctuation. 

If you have time, you may write on the blackboard 
two different endings for your story. Your teacher 
will allow the class to decide which one is better. 
See whether the class will choose the one that you 
prefer. 

When the stories are collected, the class may j^dge the 
choose a committee of two to judge the work. In ^^^''^^^ 
reading a paper the committee may award two 
points for general excellence of the story and its 
telling and one point each for good ending, helpful 
punctuation, and neatness. If your paper is awarded 
all ^\^ points, you may be satisfied; if it receives less 
than four, you may well ask the teacher what you 
can do to improve your work. 

26 

Revising the Outline 

The other day you helped make a plan for the Find your 
study of vocations. By this time you should be ^^^^^^^ 
far enough away from it to look at it critically, to 
judge it as coolly as could one who had no part in 
drafting it. 

Before you get it out, spend ^i^^ minutes in thinking study 
about the points upon which you want information. 
Do not try to remember what you thought before; 
start all over as if this were a new topic. Do this 
now, before you read any farther. 

Take out your copy of the plan made the other 
day and read over the outline of information de- 



66 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

sired. Have you now anything to add to it or any 
changes to suggest? If so, make note of them for 
presentation in class. After that read over the 
following analysis of the problem: 

With regard to any vocation which one is seriously 
thinking of adopting, he should ask five questions: 

1. What tastes and ambitions does this occupa- 
tion satisfy? For example, does it satisfy the taste 
for making things with the hands, for the manipu- 
lation of machinery, for the managing of people, or 
for finding out new things by experiment? Will 
one who follows it have a fair chance of realizing 
his ambition to make money, to become famous, or 
to make the world better? 

2. What abilities are necessary for success in this 
vocation? For example, does it require an unusual 
memory, extraordinary patience, superior physical 
endurance, or es])ecial insight into people's motives? 

3. What are the rewards of such work? These may 
be of several kinds, (a) Financially, how much does 
it j)ay, at the start and later? (b) What is the social 
position which those who follow it are likely to have? 

4. What effects does it have upon the person- 
ality of the worker? First, does it seriously affect 
his health either for better or for worse? Secondly, 
does the worker in this ()ccu])ation grow mentally 
brondiM- and keener, or narrower and duller? Does 
it tend to make him more sympathetic and friendly 
or more indifferent to other i)eople? 

5. What preparation does this calling require? 
Is it long, e\pensi\'e, difnciilt lo secure? 'Hiis mat- 
ter of preparation should iiiflucuee the choice only 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 67 

in rare cases, but it may well be considered at the 
same time because it must be planned for at once. 

This statement is greatly condensed and may be 
difficult to grasp. Reread it to make sure you 
understand each point. Think of a concrete ap- 
plication of each. You may be called upon to ex- 
plain one if some other pupil fails to understand. 

Compare this outline with your own and with 
the one in the government bulletin (see page 42). 
Be "prepared (not merely willing) to urge the class 
to adopt the one you think best, with any changes 
you think will improve it. 

Do not let any superstitious reverence for print Discuss 
lead you to adopt the ready-made plans. Before ad- "" ^^ ^ 
journing you should agree on the points upon which 
you will seek information. 

If the discussion of the outline does not require 
the whole class hour, use the remainder of the time 
for a dictation exercise. The following may prove 
interesting. It is adapted from a circular given to the 
boys and girls of Edinburgh when they are going to 
work. 



1. Consider what you are best fitted for. Consult 
your parents and your teachers. 

2. Choose healthful work and work that offers some 
chance of promotion. 

3. If you prefer a trade, choose one in which you will 
be likely to find employment anywhere and at any time. 
Learn the trade thoroughly so that your employers will 
value your services. Do not change from one thing to 
another without good reason. 

4. Stick to your school until the last possible moment 



68 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

and make good use of it. Later you will see, better than 
you do now, how much school work has helped. 

5. Remember that in the continuation schools you can 
receive instruction in courses of study directly related to 
the trade or business which you propose to learn. 

6. If the work you take up is not satisfactory, stick 
to it until you get something really better. Do not wan- 
der from one job to another but come back to the school 
and tell your teacher. He may be able to direct you to 
those w^ho can advise you in choosing your next work 
more carefully. 

7. Be brave and cheerful in whatever work you choose. 
You w^ill find nothing perfect. Perseverance and hard 
work during the first years of employment will make the 
rest of your life easier. 

27 

Planning the Procedure 

Find your As many class periods will now be given over to 

pro em ^ discussioH of vocatioHs as your teacher thinks 

desirable. Probably each pupil will choose one 

vocation for particular study and presentation to 

the class. 

It may seem worth while near the end of the study 
for each pupil to organize all that he knows about the 
vocation he has been studying into a single paper. 
This may then circulate among those members of 
the class who have any interest in that j)articular 
occupation. Such a paper, well done, would be 
cjuite worth preserving. 
Discuss in Consider the following suggestions for gathering 
information. 

L Read up. Consult the card catalogs of your 



^1(1.' 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 69 

school and public libraries, under the topic "Voca- 
tions. " Run through the same topic in the Reader s 
Guide. At the same time look up your especial voca- 
tion. Take notes only when you have finished read- 
ing a magazine article or a chapter in a book; the 
notes will cover the main point better than if you 
take them as you go along, and they will be more 
like you, less bookish. 

2. Talk with those engaged in the vocation. 
Sometimes it pays to ask questions; sometimes 
just to start your victim talking and then become 
all ears without a tongue. Try whichever plan 
you think most likely to work better, and then use 
the other to get additional information. Inter- 
views must be your main reliance in studying the 
tastes and abilities involved in an occupation. 

3. Write to persons who you think can and will 
give you information you desire. So far as most 
vocations are concerned this method will be useful 
only in gathering statistics about pay and probable 
advancement. 

4. Do not try to do all this vocational study in 
consecutive class hours. Perhaps one or two periods 
a week will give opportunity for the presentation 
of your material as fast as you can gather and ar- 
range it. 

Consider all your own suggestions and those 
you have just read, and determine which ones you 
think are worth while. Prepare to state your 
reasons in each case in three or four vigorous sen- 
tences. 

The class discussion should result in a definite 



70 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

Adopt a program of study, with approximate dates for the 
program different reports. A calendar of assignments might 
be written on the blackboard. 

You will find scattered through the remainder 
of this book directions for reports based upon the 
outline of the problem and the suggestions for 
procedure given in this lesson and the one which 
preceded it. These are to be replaced by your own 
assignments just so far as you desire. They are put 
in to keep you reminded of the whole topic. You 
may move reports to other dates if you find reason 
to do so. 



28 
Illustrated Lectures 



Read 
silently 



For the young student of music one of the greatest 
helps is attendance upon lecture recitals. A lecture 
recital consists of a series of songs or instrumental 
pieces accompanied by explanations. If all the 
selections are chosen to illustrate the work of one 
composer or some special type of musical composi- 
tion, the accompanying explanations may really 
have the unity of a lecture. 

Similarly elementary classes in sculpture and 
painting find nuieh profit in tours of tlu^ galleries 
undiM* the guidance of good lecturers who explain 
the history and merits of the difi'erent (^xhibits. 
Find your Something of the lecture-recital and the lecture 
prohlrm ^^y^^j, y^^ ^^^.jy liave in your own schoolroom. If 
yon wish to gi\-e a recital, choose a general topic 
for \()nr program, sneh as "Indian Music," "Folk 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 7l 

Songs of Many Nations," "Songs that Have Made 
History," or "Great Masters of Music." Get per- 
mission from your principal to bring in the school 
talking machine, or, if that is not convenient, for 
your class to go to the talking machine. Let a 
committee, with the help of the music teacher if 
possible, choose the records to be played. They 
can probably find some suitable to their purpose in 
the collection belonging to the school; others they 
can borrow from dealers or from the homes of children 
in the class. Musical talent in the class may give 
actual performances of some selections. 

All the musical selections need explanation to 
secure genuine appreciation by the pupils. These 
explanations will have to be made by members of 
the class, you among the others. You had better 
volunteer to explain the musical selection which 
interests you most. If you do not, you must expect 
to be drafted for the talk that no one else cares to 
give. 

You may choose, of course, to give an art pro- 
gram. If so, follow the same procedure. Repro- 
ductions of famous paintings and pictures of the 
world's best statuary are easily obtainable. If 
your school has a reflectoscope, even the postcard 
reproductions can be used satisfactorily. Of course, 
you will consult the art teacher about this program. 

The plan will be a genuine success only if each ^tudy 
speaker is well prepared. If the day before the 
real performance you rehearse your talk before a 
small group of your classmates, you will assure your- 
self of your own readiness, and you may get some 



72 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

helpful criticism. Perhaps your teacher will let 

you take class time for such a rehearsal. 

Carry out Because of the time consumed in playing records 

gram^ ^^ exhibiting pictures, this program will probably be 

quite long, but the music or art teacher may think 

the exercise so valuable that he will allow you to use 

some of his time in this way. 

Judge After the program is finished you will naturally 

your oun i • i i 

talk thmk about the success oi the whole and more es- 

pecially about the success of your part of it. Over 
night write a short paragraph estimate of the ex- 
cellences that made your talk as satisfactory as it 
was and of the shortcomings that prevented it from 
being ideally effective. Present this to your teacher, 
who will add a note confirming your opinion of your 
own effort or indicating the points on which he dis- 
agrees. 

If your teacher thinks there is sufficient similarity 
in the good or in the bad qualities of the talks, you 
may discuss what phases of speaking the class as a 
whole has mastered and in what respects it is weak- 
est. 

29 

Our Opportunity 

Read ^Ve are all patriotic; we love our country and our 

itilently Jiomc city. We should delight in doing something 
for our own community or our nation, but there 
doesn't seem to be anything for us to do. During 
the World War we found that even children could 
help. Is it really true that in time of peace there 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 73 

is no service we should render? Think this matter 
over. 

What does the school need? New equipment? Find your 
Better standards of conduct? Better standards of ^^^ ^^ 
scholarship? More cooperation from the parents? 
More knowledge by the taxpayers of its present 
accomplishments? A school paper? 

What does our city need? Cleaner streets? More 
street lights? A booklet to advertise its advantages? 
A better library? Cleaner sidewalks in winter? Less 
stone-throwing and such minor misdeeds? More in- 
telligent voters? More honest tax returns? 

What does our country need? 

Perhaps you have thought of other needs as you 
glanced over these questions. Choose one need 
that you think eighth-graders can help to meet, and 
explain why they can and should do so. 

Whether your suggestion involves only individual study 
action when occasion arises or immediate action by 
your class as a group, you must make very clear the 
kind of action to be taken, and must present the 
whole matter so persuasively that your companions 
will wish to make the attempt. Their first im- 
pression of your proposal will be very important 
and so will the impression you leave upon them as 
you stop speaking — the pleasing beginning and the 
vigorous ending. It will be well to make a speaker's 
outline on a card before you try to give this talk. 
You might also write out and memorize your last 
sentence or two. 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 
see how rapidly you can learn the following: 



74 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

The Athenian Oath 

We will never bring disgrace to this, our city, by any 
act of dishonesty or cowardice; nor ever desert our suffer- 
ing comrades in the ranks. 

We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city, 
both alone and with many. We will revere and obey the 
city's laws and do our best to incite a like respect and 
reverence in those above us who are prone to annul or to 
set them at naught; we will strive unceasingly to quicken 
the public's sense of duty. 

Thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this city — not 
only not less — but greater, better and more beautiful than 
it was transmitted to us. 

Make your ^^^^ Oral English meeting may be conducted in 

speeches parliamentary form. At the close of the meeting, 

after the speeches, the class may offer a resolution 

with regard to the plan of community helpfulness 

which seems from the presentation most needed and 

most practicable for children. 

Judge (he Were the members of the class moved to recom- 

spccchcs iiiend the form of service they did entirely by the 

merits of the case, or parth' by the effectiveness with 

which the idea was presented? Did some other 

equally desirable and possible service fail to win 

favorable consideration chiefly because it was weakly 

set forth. ^ I'he opinion of your teacher and of any 

visitors will be very valuable here. 

Are you going to carry out the resolution? 



CHAPTER III 

Business letters you will certainly have to write; Read 
so you cannot afford to omit the mastery of their 
forms. Even in connection with your school work 
there may be occasions for business letters, but the 
writing of these is usually incidental to the need 
of obtaining some books, material, or equipment. 
The actual necessity for writing real business letters 
in the schoolroom does not occur frequently enough 
to give sufficient practice in the process. The best 
thing to do, then, is to make play of the topic of 
business letters, assuming that you are grown up 
and that you have business to transact which re- 
quires communication by mail. All the under- 
takings in this chapter you will find are of the make- 
believe variety. If you approach them in the same 
spirit in which you would present a play on the 
stage, they will furnish you entertainment as well 
as instruction. Should a real occasion for a business 
letter arise at any time, simply put aside the sug- 
gestion in the book and write the real letter. 

30 

Arranging an Interview 

Now you are a business man or woman in what- Find your 
ever business pleases you best and you find it nee- ^'^^ ^"^ 

[ Book U 1 75 



76 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Bool- 



S) 



essary to have a conference with some other busi- 
ness person. You wish to hire him to work for you, 
to sell him a piece of property, to engage him as 






your legal representative, to talk over with him the 
details of some suit in which he is representing you, 
or to buy from him something for your store or fac- 
tory. Write him, asking for the interview, stating 
the subject to be discussed, and suggesting a definite 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 77 



MARMILLAC COMPANY 

BUILDERS OF FINE AUTOMOBILES 

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 



HENRY JAEGER 
General Superintendent 



Uay 21, 1921 



llfr. John C* Technie 
25 North Torrace 
Detroit, Ittch. 
Dear Sir: 

Your letters ha\re led us to think you are probably 
the man we need to take charge of our testing and research 
department. Before reaching a final conclusion, however, we 
should like to have an interview with you here. We shall 
assume the expense of your trip. Ten o'doOk next Saturday 
momins, May 27, would suit us better than any other time. 

Please wire us whether we are to expect you at that 
time. 

Yours truly, 
HJ-M 



vAf€4iJUj M^Ji^J^ 



time and place or asking him to name a time and 
place. 

When your letter is completed, it will be collected 
with the letters written by other pupils. They will 
then be distributed by chance among the members 



together 



78 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

of the class. The person who receives your letter 
will assume the character which you have given him, 
and will answer according to his judgment and in- 
clination. How he will answer will depend upon the 
reasonableness of your suggestions and upon the 
dignity and courtesy of your letter. 
Study If you are not quite sure of the form for busi- 

ness letters, you will find two satisfactory ones given 
here. These forms are rather rigidly observed by 
real business people. To depart from them is to 
direct attention to the form of your letter and 
probably to give the impression that you do not 
know what the correct form is. ^Moreover, every 
item in the letter form has a purpose: 
1. The person who is to answer you must have your 
address. He has a right to know when you wrote 
the letter; in many cases the date would make con- 
siderable legal difference. These items are furnished 
by the "date line" — e. g.: 

2'20 Windsor Tornice 
Quincy, ]\[ass. 
May 21, 19^21 

2. If the hotter should go astray in the mail, the 
inner address, which is the same as the one on the 
envelope, would Ix^ the means of identifying it and 
sending it on to the proper ])erson — e. g. : 

]\rr. Duncan MacAdam 
583 Westminster HldiT 
Quincy, iSIass. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 79 

3. The salutation is only a matter of politeness 
corresponding to the greeting you would give the 
person addressed if you met him in his office or 
yours. The following are the most used forms: 

Gentlemen : 
Dear Sir: 
Dear Madam: 

My dear Miss : 

My dear Mr. : 



4. The complimentary close and signature give 
the writer a chance to take leave of his correspondent 
courteously. Such expressions are used as: 

Yours truly, 

Henry P. Adams. 

Respectfully yours, 

Donald K. Hunter. 

On pages 76 and 77 are given some business 
letters in which the relative positions of these 
various parts of the letter are shown. Study these 
forms carefully. Before you write an original 
letter your teacher will dictate one of these letters 
to you just to see how well you have grasped the 
details of form. 

When you feel sure that you understand the busi- Write 
ness letter form, write the letter which you had de- 
cided upon as your problem. 

If you finish before the others, study these busi- 
ness expressions and be ready to explain them to 
the class: 



Judge the 
letters 



80 ENGLISH IN SER\7CE [ Book 2 ] 

a. retail price 

b. wholesale price 

c. free on board (abbreviated f. o. b.) 

d. installment plan 

e. defray expenses 

f. disbursements 

^^llen your letter is completed, compare it with 
the model to see how well you have observed all the 
details of form. Check your work strictly in this 
respect. All the letters will then be collected and dis- 
tributed as agreed. 



Answer 
the letters 



Judge the 
ansicers 



31 

The Reply 

The recipient of your letter may now assume the 
character which you have given him and answer your 
letter according to his judgment and inclination. Thus 
your letter will be judged by the best of all tests — 
its success in securing the answer you desire. 

A second set of letters has now been written. 
When you receive your answer, write upon it in 
judgment one of each of these pairs of comments: 
(1) clear or not clear, (2) reasonable or unreasonable, 
and (3) courteous or discourteous. Examine also the 
heading and closing, and check any errors. If you 
feel that the answer is a fair reply to your letter and 
if it is in such form as would satisfy you in a letter 
going from your office, hand it to the teacher: other- 
wise return it to the writer, in order that he may make 
the needed revision. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 81 

32 

Mild Parentheses 

The punctuation of these sentences, which is cor- ^i^^y 
rect, illustrates just one use of the comma. Try to together 
discover what it is. 

John, I thought, must certainly be mistaken. He was 
going, he said, to get $20 for that stamp. It proved, how- 
ever, that John was right. $20, you see, is a moderate 
price for a really rare stamp. The stamp was actually 
worth, as John found out later, $75. At any rate, that is 
what a letter he showed me said. Besides, we looked it up 
in Mekeel's Stamp Catalog and found it listed at $75. 

Come here, Helen, and get your paper. 

Is this your writing, Philip.? 

In each of the examples just given there is an ex- 
pression which is set off from the rest of the sentence 
by commas. Oral reading will show that these ex- 
pressions are uttered in a lower key and marked by 
pauses. They are either merely thrown in or are so far 
out of their natural position in the sentences as to in- 
terrupt the usual order of expression. These thrown 
in or transposed (moved around) expressions we call 
parenthetical. 

A parenthetical expression is set off by commas 
from the rest of the sentence in which it occurs. 

To make sure that you understand this matter, 
name the expressions in the following sentences which 
should be set off by commas. One pupil may write 
the sentences on the board and punctuate them as 
you direct him. 



82 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

1. You may go John and bring me the package. 

2. There is however one very serious objection to your 

plan. 

3. The Culver team Dick says has been practising for 

several weeks. 

4. We will do our very best in spite of your indifference 

to make your visit pleasant. 

5. Well I wish I had the money now. 

6. A bird in the hand is you know worth at least two 

in the bush. 

7. Here Arthur is the dime I owe you. 

8. We are now I hope ready to attend to the lesson. 

9. We offer therefore to pay all freight charges on 

orders received this month. 
10. We shall at the very worst no more than waste our 
time. 

Write Write these sentences on paper inserting the 

commas : 

1. Are you willing then to come to my house to-night? 

2. Yes I will come this time. 

3. All of us I am sure appreciate the play you have 

given for us. 

4. I can*t make any promises today. I hope however 

that I can answer you definitely tomorrow. 

5. Stop that giggling ncnrictta. 

6. This compound will its makers say remove the dirt 

from clothes without rubbing. 

7. No I do not regret my action. 

8. Send me please a copy of the illustrated edition 

of Oliver Twid. 

9. Florence and Daniel to mention only the first ones 

I think of would never be willing to make that 
])r()mise. 
10. Moreover he can we all know si)eak plainly when 
lie will lake the trouble. 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 83 

If you finish before the others, copy on the black- 
board or on paper two sentences from your history or 
reader which illustrate this use of the comma. 

If in copying the ten sentences from page 82 you 
made more than two mistakes, restudy the explana- 
tion of this use of the comma and then copy the fol- 
lowing sentences, inserting the proper punctuation: 

1. You are of course under no obligation to be present. 

2. In the first place you cannot call attention to the 

matter and in the second it would not improve the 
situation if you did. 

3. There is to be sure a decided advantage to be gained 

from the course. 

4. You will agree with me nevertheless that she is one 

of the most talented girls in our group. 

5. Let us not for old time's sake quarrel over such a 

minor matter. 

6. You will no doubt be glad to have new books. 

7. Put the napkins you have left if there are any on the 

second shelf. 

8. Henry and Elizabeth could not it seemed both be right. 

9. At any rate we have learned enough to pay us for our 

trouble. 
10. Now Milton you must stop teasing Dora. 

Keep your punctuation scrapbook uptodate. Paste your 
How many clippings have you pasted in it.^ Be sure ^*^^^"^* 
to keep them classified and labeled, for easy reference. 

33 

Inquiring 

You are still in business for yourself as lawyer. Find your- 
doctor, merchant, or manufacturer. Elmore So- ^^ 



84 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 



landt, a man (or Marie La Barthe, a woman) of 
about your own age has answered your advertise- 
ment for a partner. Personally he (or she) seems 
clever, attractive, clean-cut. Altogether you are fa- 
vorably impressed, but you dare not rely entirely upon 
your impresssion; so you have asked for references. 
Among the names he (or she) has mentioned is that 
of Malcolm MacPherson, 157 High Street, Toronto, 
Ontario, Canada. Write to MacPherson, asking for 



Donald K. Hunter 

220 WINDSOR TERRACE 
QUINCY, MASS. 



STAMP 






Gi 



Ua^vXAj , 



VYv-ouoa. 



■4 



his impression of the proposed partner's personality, 
moral character, and business qualifications. 
Write Keep your imagination busy witli the supposed 

situation as you write your letter, ^^^len you have 
finished writing, compare the heading and the closing 
with one of the forms given in the preceding section. 

If you finish before the others, go to the black- 
board, draw an oblong suitably proportioned to rep- 
resent an envelope and write on it in proper spacing 
all that the outside address should contain. 

Your teacher will want to examine these letters to 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 85 

see how well you ai 
problem. He will ] 
needs improvement. 



see how well you are mastering the business-letter Judge the 

I pffpy*Q 

problem. He will let you know where your work 



34 

Merely Explanatory 

There is another use of the comma very similar to ^^^^^^^ 
the one you studied last; indeed, many eases might be 
classified in either way. Look over these correctly 
punctuated sentences, trying to see why the commas 
are needed. 

Whether we practise any longer or not, I do not want 
to go home. Mother isn't there, for she said she would 
be at the club all day. Since she has the key, I should 
have to sit on the back step in the cold. I lost another 
key yesterday, just after promising to be especially careful 
of it. Mother wouldn't give me another, because she 
thought I would lose it too. Even father, who is usually 
tender-hearted, refused to help me out. The loss of that 
key, which has left me in this unpleasant situation, may 
in the end prove a blessing, for I am sure I shall never be 
so careless again. 

Do you know Louisa Armstrong, the movie star? 

Napoleon, the conqueror of Europe, was only an imita- 
tor of Alexander, conqueror of the world. 

Perhaps you can now see the likeness between these 
sentences .f^ Name the expressions set off by the 
commas. Are they necessary to the chief mean- 
ing of the sentences .f^ Could you drop them out 
without materially changing the meaning of the 
sentences.? 



86 ENGLISH IX SEm^CE [ Book 2 ] 

A purely explanatory expression is set off by com- 
mas from the rest of the sentence in which it occurs. 

Test your understanding of this principle by nam- 
ing to yourself the explanatory expressions in these 
sentences which should be set off by commas, and by 
noting in each case whether one or two commas are 
required. After you have read the sentences through, 
write on paper ten of the most difficult ones, insert- 
ing the necessary punctuation. 

1. For my birthday an uncle in Oregon sent me a 

whole box of Jonathan apples the best fruit in the 
world. 

2. The club dues for the semester twenty-five cents 

must be paid this week. 

3. His punishment which was only to apologize to 

Helen was too light. 

4. We could not make fudge as we had planned be- 

cause we could not get the sugar. 

5. As busy as I am I have stayed for rehearsals three 

afternoons this week. 

6. Since I know that he will not be there I shall not go 

either. 

7. Many immigrants return to Europe where with a 

few thousand dollars they are really rich. 

8. Even the principal who is always busy takes time 

to watch our monthly parade. 

9. The Green and White our new daily paper is a great 

success. 

10. I'm not at all offended for I don't think he meant to 

hurt anyone's feelings. 

11. Since you know it nmst be done why not do it right 

away.^ 

12. I do In^lieve in getting each day's lesson thoroughly 

thou*,'h I wouldn't sit uf) until inidni^'ht to do it. 
1'5. Knowing that you had never missed a day of school 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 87 

I was sure that your absence yesterday was due to 
illness. 

14. A long, long time ago so long ago that nobody 

knows when men lived in caves. 

15. Electric lights which seem so commonplace to us 

were unknown when our parents were children. 

16. Ask Bertha Hogan the Secretary of the Dramatic 

Club. 

17. The most popular mounting for diamonds is plati- 

num a metal as rare as gold and much harder. 



If you finish before the others, copy and punctuate 
this paragraph. You will find it necessary to apply 
all the rules of punctuation that you have been study- 
ing recently. 

Standing against the sky-line on the crest of his beloved 
Sierra John Muir is the most conspicuous figure in the 
mountain world of America though his body has passed 
from the mountain tops his spirit will long remain there his 
was a fascinating personality almost all of us have read 
pages in the romantic chapters of his life-story that run 
like the tale of one of the poet-prophets of long ago how 
vivid is our picture of the tall gaunt mountaineer with 
flowing beard broad forehead and kindly blue eyes spend- 
ing most of his seventy-six years in the open exploring in- 
terpreting and fighting up to within a few days of his 
death to save the beauties of our national parks for our 
children's children by his personal method of year-counting 
his own life was immeasurable longest is the life he said 
that contains the largest amount of time-effacing enjoy- 
ment of work that is a steady delight. 

— Charlotte Kellogg: John Muir — Pilgrim Soul} 



^From the Delineator, August, 1921, by permission of Mrs. Vernon L. 
Kellogg and the publishers. 



88 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

Those members of the class who did not do well 
in punctuating the sentences on page 86-7 should 
use the following for further practice: 

1. I did not like this for I knew I would not be able to 

go to the play. 

2. Then I knew why my sister had laughed for she had 

pinned it on for a joke. 

3. I bought the outfit although I did not think I should 

ever have an opportunity to use it. 

4. The Students' Council met on Monday the first day 

of the new semester. 

5. We were planning to go to La Rabida an old mission 

on the 3^acht harbor at Jackson Park. 

6. One of the girls Florence Shields boasted that she was 

never afraid of anything. 

7. We saw Florence the brave girl running down the 

road. 

8. Our next program the most important of the season 

has been very difficult to prepare. 

9. Mr. Dunn the leader of the group has been ill for a 

week. 

10. Mathematics one of the most imj)ortant subjects in 

that course never appealed to me. 

11. Finally I saw my father who had gone out on some 

business come by in a car. 

12. About two years ago I was in Detroit visiting my 

aimt wlio had a little boy about two years old. 
1.3. Mother told me to let no one in cxccj)t the telephone 

man who usually knocked twice. 
14. By evening we had reached T>odi one of the most 

})eautiful places in the stat(\ 
1.5. To the climbers the mountain one of the highest in 

that range seemed to have no jM^ak. 
1(). I think you are doing Jane who lias shown you 

nothing but kindness a great injustice by such a 

remark. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 89 

17. Will you with your immense resources help our little 

firm to get a new start? 

18. I am sure you will find Mr. Drake one of our 

most influential business men very ready to help 
you. 

If you have never read John Muir's Stickeen, you Read at 
will be much interested in the adventures of the ^ 
plucky little dog as well as in those of his master. 

35 

Your Opinion of Him 

As before, the letters written in the last lesson Find your 
will be distributed by chance among the members of 
the class to be answered. You and Elmore Solandt 
or Marie La Bar the were classmates in school and 
you have been friends ever since. He (or she) still 
has those qualities which made you like him (or 
her) in school. Give as favorable a report as you 
honestly can, but do not stretch the truth till it 
cracks. 

A letter of recommendation must by its appear- Write 
ance, form, and wording make a good impression 
for the sake of the friend about whom it conveys 
information. Make your letter meet an exacting 
standard of excellence. Think it out sentence by 
sentence before you write. 

If you finish before the others read thoughtfully 
the following "Discovering Myself" blank. It is 
adapted from one issued by the Y. W. C. A.^ How 
many good points can you give yourself? 

'From the Girl Reserve Manual. By permission of National Board of 
Young Women's Christian Association, 600 Lexington Avenue, New 
York City. 



90 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2 

DISCOVERING MYSELF 
A Way of Finding Out What I Am Good For 



Name Age 

List in the order of your preference the three school subjects you Hke best. 
List in order the three subjects in which you receive the highest marks. 
Is there any school subject you especially dishke? 
Is there any subject in which your marks are much lower than in the 

others.^ 

Do you enjoy school? 

Do you make friends easily? 

Have you ever had an opportunity to make nKuicy? If so, how? 
What do you want to do most when vou leave school? 



What plans have you made to do this? 



What anuisemcnts do you enjoy most 



The following qualities go to make up what other people 
think about you. Look at yourself as if you were another 
person. How do you measure up? Rate yourself as 
extra good, fair, or poor in these respects : 

Extra good Fair Poor 

Health 



Hcing scjuarc 


in 


my 


Stl 


itemenls 


Being square 


in 


my 


work 


lacing square 


in 


my 


fricndsliip 


'riiiiiking for 


m\ 


,self 






Uclial)ility 


Ambition 


Thrift 



Your success in life, in school, in business, or al liome 
will depend on two things: efficiency in your work and 
ability to get along willi ollior pco])lc. Think carefully 
and answer frankly the following questions: — 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 91 

Are you a good leader? 

Do you have difficulty in sticking to things? 
Do you work easily with other people? 
Do others find it easy to work with you? 



Are you an all-around boy or girl? 



Do you take your work seriously? 



The letters you have written may be exchanged 
and read aloud in class. It would be well to note 
for discussion any particularly suitable words or 
expressions used in describing the character and 
ability of the applicant. From all the letters written 
four or five models should be chosen for exhibition 
on the bulletin board. 

36 

A Summary 

It would be a good plan now to state as simply as 
possible all the rules for the use of the comma that 
you have studied. These might be recorded by one 
secretary while another writes an illustration of 
each rule. A blackboard chart like the following 
would be helpful : 



Judge the 
letters 



Commas 


Rule 


Illustration 







Summa- 
rize 



92 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

Try to find among your rules one that covers this 
case: // you finish before the others pass to the board 
and draw a diagram. Some will say, *'A dependent 
clause at the beginning of a sentence should be set 
off," but this is not a genuine rule; many good 
printers and writers ignore it. I had been there sev- 
eral times before he said needs a comma after before, 
but no specific rule applies. There is a general 
principle which covers these miscellaneous cases and 
also summarizes the more specific rules. It is this: 
Words which are likely to be grouped together by a 
reader but which the writer wishes grouped apart 
should be separated by a comma. Find some addi- 
tional illustrations. 

Do not copy the rules or attempt to memorize 
them. The wording of the rule is not so important 
as its application. In all your written work for the 
rest of the term refer to your punctuation scrap- 
book whenever you are in doubt about the use of 
commas. If you have pasted into it plenty of 
illustrations classified under proper headings, it will 
be more helpful to you than memorized rules. 

37 

A Vacation Order 

Presto, change! Now you are fourteen years old 
prnhlnu again. It is summertime and you are in the country 
for a vacation. You find yourself in urgent need of 
a tennis racket, baseball supplies, si)()rt shoes, or a 
sweater coat. You know just wIutc at home you 
could buy exactly what you want, and just what it 



Find your 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 93 

would cost. Write to the storekeeper, asking him to 
send you the article and enclosing a check in pay- 
ment. If you don't know the exact trade name for 
what you want, you will have to describe it as best 
you can. 

It is always diflficult to make another person 
understand exactly what you want. Write your 
letter carefully. Then before it leaves your hands 
put yourself in the other man's place and ask your- 
self questions about the order to see if your letter Write 
gives full details. Is the sweater to be red, blue, 
or brown .^ Slip-on or coat style.? What size is re- 
quired .f^ 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
explanation of methods of sending money payments 
through the mail. Which way seems simplest and 
easiest .f^ Do you know of other methods of forward- 
ing money that you can explain to the class.? 

1. The certified check. If you are mailing a check to 
an out-of-town merchant, he will naturally wish to be 
assured that you have sufficient money deposited in your 
bank to cover the amount of the check. In order to assure 
him upon this point, you may ask the cashier of your 
bank to certify the check. This he does by writing 
"Accepted" or "Certified" across the check and signing 
his name. Your bank then sets aside from your deposits 
the sum indicated on the check, and holds this sum in the 
bank funds until the check is presented for payment. 

2. The hank draft. Most banks keep funds deposited 
in other banks in the large cities. If you ask your bank 
for a draft upon New York or Chicago, for example, the 
bank will take your money and give you a check signed by 
one of its officers instead of by you, for the amount you 



Judge the 
letters 



94 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 

want. This check is drawn upon the New York or Chi- 
cago bank in which it keeps its funds deposited. A bank 
draft is always acceptable to the person receivmg it m 
payment for goods because of the certainty that it is 

genuine. , 

3 The postal money order. The postal money order 
is a simple means of sending through the mail sums of 
money not to exceed one hundred dollars. To obtain a 
postal money order, the applicant goes to a postal station, 
makes out a blank, and gives it with the amount of money 
he has specified to the postal clerk. (Small fees are charged 
for the issuance of postal money orders.) He receives an 
order for the money upon the postoffice of the town where 
he wishes to make the payment. The person receiving 
the postal money order cashes it at the postofhce or at 
the bank. It may be endorsed but once. 

The real test of an order letter comes when the 
order is filled. If your letter is quite clear, the 
storekeeper will forward exactly what you want. 
If you do not receive just what you expected, the 
chances are that you described it imperfectly. It 
would be a good plan to exchange these letters and 
let each recipient write out on a slip of paper a de- 
scription of what he would send in response to the 
letter he holds or any questions he thinks it would be 
necessary to ask. His description or questions may 
then be handed to the one who ordered the goods as 
a check upon the clearness of the order. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 95 

38 

Substituting 

The order which some member of your class sent Find your 
from the country has been handed to you as the ^^^ ^^ 
storekeeper, but there is difficulty in filling the 
order. The article which the order seems to you to 
call for is out of stock. Would anything else do? 
You may use your own judgment about sending 
something else upon approval. You have two ob- 
jects: (1) to make a sale, and (2) what is more im- 
portant, to keep the good will of this old customer. 

Write the letter which the circumstances demand. Write 
When your letter is ready to mail fold the bottom 
edge to about a quarter of an inch from the top 
edge, and crease. Fold the right edge over about 
two thirds of the way to the left edge, and crease. 
Then fold the left edge over as far as it will go, and 
crease. This will leave your letter in the proper 
shape to be enclosed in an envelope. 

Since you have no envelope, consider the back of 
this folded letter as the front of the envelope. Write 
the address to which the letter is to be sent in a 
large clear hand. This will be exactly like the 
inner address of your letter, except for size and 
placing. Now, in the upper left-hand corner write 
your own name and address in a small hand. In 
the upper right corner draw an oblong to represent 
the stamp. The teacher will be the postman. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
excerpts from an interesting article about the mail- 



96 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

order business.^ People have learned to buy by mail 
to such an extent that in the year 1919 the amount 
spent for postage by one great mail-order company 
was more than seven million dollars. 

I had just come from homesteading plains, where 
the mail-order catalogue was called the "homesteader's 
Bible," and where it served not only as store and salesman 
but provided reading matter for the entire family, and 
served many other purposes. Some months later, down 
in the Georgia mountains, a mother explained that she 
had found the rather fanciful name of her young son from 
a mail-order catalogue. In another community a school- 
teacher told of an emergency, when the textbooks did not 
come in time, in which she used the catalogues, teachmg 
reading, arithmetic— tlie children were asked to make out 
orders, adding the items, etc.— drawing, and even geog- 
raphy—the last from the postal zone maps which serve as 
guides to customers in computing postage. These mci- 
dents, together with what I had seen of the nnportance 
to the rural family of the catalogue, suggested that per- 
haps these catalogues should be classed with good roads, 
the telephone, the rural mail-routes, the cheap automobile, 
the magazine, and the movie as a factor in broadening 
country life. Certain it is that our rural population is 
much better equipped than it ever has been, and that not 
the least important agent of equipment is the mail-order 

catalogue. 

New Yorkers, when tlic wliini strikes them, go shopping 
or window-wishing along Fifth Avenue. The mail-order 
catalogue is to the country dweller his Fifth Avenue as 
well as his bar^^ain counter. When he wants to play the 
age-old "if-I-were-rich" ^^anie, he has only to sit by the 
fire and turn i)ages. INIan, woman, and child can find rich 
food for wishing— the coveted rifle, the si)eedonieter, the 

'l{ci)riiiU-(l from Scribiier'a Magazlur, April. UHl. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 97 

fur coat, the phonograph, the doll or mechanical toy — 
hundreds of things ranging from desires just out of reach 
to those quite out of reach and only just within range of a 
good, husky wish. Imagination must supply color and 
texture and third dimension. Yet not always color and 
texture, for many of the plates are colored and the effect 
of texture is often so cunningly conveyed that one is im- 
pelled to run one's finger over the printed sample to assure 
one's self that it is not cloth pasted on. The imagination 
is assisted, too, by the descriptions — descriptions which 
aim not only to entice but to make the customer visualize 
with a maximum of accuracy the article for sale. Articles 
must be described faithfully and briefly. Not only must 
the customer be persuaded, he must be satisfied, whether 
his purchase is a book or a barn, shoes or sheep-dip, or 
any one of the quarter-million articles set forth in the cata- 
logue. The policy of the big mail-order houses is to let 
the customer know exactly what he is getting. 



"The mail-order business is a faith business," said the 
advertising manager of one of the large firms, "built and 
depending entirely upon the customer's faith in us. The 
book is our store, and we ask the customer not only to buy, 
'sight unseen,' but to be his own clerk and bookkeeper, 
to make out the bill, and to send his money to us before 
he gets his goods. Often he sends us a signed blank check, 
asking us to fill in the amount. (We get hundreds of such 
checks a year.) On the other hand there is our faith in 
the customer. We take personal checks, many of them 
written in pencil, and send the goods out immediately 
upon their receipt, without waiting to see if the checks are 
all right. When a customer complains that he has not 
received the goods, or that they were received in bad con- 
dition, we duplicate his order; and our losses from the dis- 
honesty of customers are so small that they can hardly 
be figured." 

— V. I. Paradise. . 



Judge the 
letters 



98 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 2 



When you receive the answer to 3'our order letter, 
you may criticize it before you reply. It might 
be a good idea to write out your criticisms and 
give them to the pupil who wrote the letter. 
Offer praise for the work wherever you can do so 
honestly. 



39 

Refusing Politely 

Find your You have the storekeeper's answer but are not 
P'"^^^^'^^ satisfied with the substitute he offered. Explain 
to him just wherein it is not satisfactory. If there 
are nonessential items in the specifications you sent, 
indicate what they are and suggest that he try again. 
If you are in a hurry because you feel that the va- 
cation is short, you might mention that also. " If 
you wish to try elsewhere, tell him so — kindly. 
Unless you feel that his tone is careless or super- 
cilious, you will try to be as pleasant as you can in 
rejecting his offer. 
^rJ.^^^ Each letter that you write should show im])rove- 

ment over its predecessor. Set a high standard of 
excellence for yourself. Be sure to compare your 
arrangement, punctuation, and general form with 
the model in the book. 

If you finish before the oHum's, study these busi- 
ness (wpressions and be able to use them in sen- 
tences. 



\. to expedite the matter 
I), in transit 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 99 

c. acknowledge the receipt 

d. replenish our stock 

Your teacher will act as the iud^je of the letters J^^d^ the 

letters 

and will let you know whether or not your work has 
reached the desired standard of excellence. 



40 

Theater Tickets for Two 

Your favorite actor is coming to town for a very Find your 
short season. You know by experience that when ^^° ^^ 
the box office sale of tickets begins the crowd will 
be great and that you will have to stand in line at 
least half an hour. So you have decided to order 
tickets by mail. How many.^^ What price .^^ Will 
all of the seats sold at that price be equally satis- 
factory to you.f^ For example, some of the most ex- 
pensive seats are on the main floor and some of them 
in the first rows of the balcony; have you any pref- 
erence between these locations.^ Are the tickets 
to be held or mailed to you.^ How will you en- 
close the money .^ (Look up the proper form for a 
check and write one out. Draw it upon a fictitious 
bank, to avoid any possible trouble.) 

Write your letter, making the details of it as clear Write 
as possible. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
letter and see if you can tell why the dealer could not 
fill the order without further correspondence. 

Be ready to insert the missing details. 



100 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 



Mr. R. F. Drysdale 
14 Main Street East 
Rochester, N. Y. 



Adams Basin, N. Y. 

Sept. 22, 1921 



Dear Sir: 

Please send me as soon as possible one bolt of blue ribbon 
of the same shade as the inclosed sample of georgette. 
Charge the ribbon and the postage to my account. 

Yours truly, 

Henrietta Crosby. 
(Mrs. Frank L. Crosby) 



Judge the The papers will be collected and redistributed in 

chance order. Mark the one given you 25% for let- 
ter form, 25% for correctness in grammar, spelling, 
and punctuation, 50% for clearness and complete- 
ness. Some of the letters graded highest will be 
read aloud and the one which is most briefly and 
smoothly expressed chosen by the class. 

Read at If you are interested in business — and even if you 

iiome ^j.^ j^q|. — y^^ ^,j|j enjoy Lorin F. Deland's Imagina- 

tion in Business. The stories are entertaining as 
well as instructive. 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 101 

41 

A Possible Case 
The managers have decided they must print ad- Find your 

... , 1 / • 1 'problem 

vertismg m your school paper (or in the programs 
for some pubHc entertainment) in order to pay ex- 
penses. The stores near at hand will be canvassed 
in person, but many firms which might profitably 
use such advertising cannot be personally solicited. 
These may be reached by letter. Manufacturers 
of fountain pens, candy, athletic goods, youths' and 
misses' clothing, should be invited to buy your 
space. Perhaps you can think of others. 

The man you will address is busy and has so many 
offers of advertising service that he is likely to dis- 
miss the matter with slight attention unless you show 
him clearly that the opportunity you offer is es- 
pecially good. Your beginning must be direct and 
interesting — to him. It must be followed by real 
argument, briefly and vigorously stated. Some in- 
formation about your rates, the number of copies 
you distribute, the general character of the com- 
munity, etc., should be included. The letter should 
end with some sort of suggestion that he do it now. 

Choose some possible advertiser and plan your let- Write 
ter soliciting his patronage. 

After you have written your first copy, submit it 
for criticism to three classmates designated by your 
teacher. Make a final copy embodying any of 
their suggestions that appeal to you as desirable. 

If you finish before the others, go to the blackboard 
and print a clever advertisement for one of the things 



102 ENGLISH JN SERVICE [Book 2] 

mentioned in the first paragraph. The following 
will illustrate what to do: 




THE PEN IS MIGHTIER 

than the 
sword 

Our pens are 

the 

mightiest 

variety 

made 



NEVER LEAK 
FOUNTAIN PENS 

BORLAND PEN CO. 

BOSTON MASS. 



Judge thr Jf possible, arrange to send your letters to some 
other chiss in the sehool. Let the pupils of this 
class judge the letters, writing on the back of each 
letter some opinion of its probable success. 



CHAPTER IV 
42 

The Influence of Our Feelings 

Of course, we knew better, but we persuaded our- Find your 
selves ^'•"^^^^ 

You, too, have let your feelings overrule your judg- 
ment. The result may have been serious difficulty, a 
fortunate escape, or a ridiculous situation. A class 
period devoted to accounts of such incidents should 
at least make clear to you how much our reasoning is 
influenced by our feelings, if it is profitable in no 
other way. If possible, complete the sentence quoted 
at the first of this paragraph and use it at some point 
— any point — in your story. 

Think your incident through. Before rehearsing study 
the narrative to yourself recall the comments which 
have been made upon your story- telling on other 
occasions this year. For what were you com- 
mended.^ Try to maintain that excellence. What 
suggestion of improvement was offered you.^ Try to 
follow it. Put the story into words. 

If you finish before the others try these word- 
study exercises: 

1. What is the relation in derivation of persuade, suasion, 
suave, and sweet ? 

{Book2\ 103 



Tell your 
stories 

Judge the 
stories 



Study 



104 

2. 

3. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 2 ] 
Use 



Find a synonym and an antonym for 'persuade. 

each in a sentence. 
Find synonymous expressions for persuaded in the 
following sentences : 

We persuaded him to take his father's automobile 

and drive us to the village. 

We persuaded him that there was no danger. 

Draw numbers for the order of speakers, and as 
many as time will permit may tell their stories. 

Each speaker may choose his own critic, who will 
tell him (1) what feature or quality contributed 
most to the success of his story and (2) what feature 
or quality was most detrimental. After this the 
story-teller is to tell what excellence he was striving 
most for and what fault he most wished to avoid. 

43 

Makking the Time 

Here is one boy's example of the prevalence of 
feelings over reason. What would you have told him 
if he had been in your class? 



A Hike 

Last Tuesdav ten of us boy scouts took a hike after 
school. We took the 22nd Street car and rode to the end 
of the line. There we got off and started across the coun- 
try for the end of the INIadison Street line. For a while 
the walk is very uninteresting, but shortly we came to 
the Des Plaines^ River and find an old canoe which had 
broken loose and is drifting down the stream. We got 
upon the })ridge and manage to reach the canoe \yith poles, 
and pushed it over to one bank. Someone said, "Let's 



[ Book 2 J ENGLISH IN SERVICE 105 

have a boat ride." Of course we know better but we per- 
suade ourselves there was no danger. So we took turns 
riding in the canoe. We have no paddle but we make it 
go by using our hands as paddles. After a while John leans 
too far over the edge of the boat and upsets the canoe. 
Neither he nor Arthur who was in the boat with him could 
swim, but fortunately they were near the bank and get 
out all right. Then we had to build a fire to dry the boys* 
clothes. While they are getting dry the rest of us wander 
up and down the river but nothing else happens. When 
they were dry we went on and find that we have to hurry 
because it is near supper time. We reach the Madison 
Avenue car at six o'clock and get home about seven, in 
time for cold suppers and good scoldings from our mothers. 

The foregoing story would be fairly interesting Study 
were it not for the difficulty the reader has in keeping ^^^ 
track of the time. In some of the sentences we 
seem to be present at the action which is now go- 
ing on, and in other sentences the whole affair is 
past. 

Your teacher will tell you, if you have not already 
been instructed on this point, that the trouble lies 
in the writer's constant shifting of tense. Some of 
the verbs represent the action as now going on and 
others as occurring at some past time. This change 
in the form of the verb to indicate the change in 
time we speak of as tense. 

All but one of the verbs in the story of the hike 
are either past or present. Decide which are which. 

For the sake of remembering the points of this sec- 
tion easily you may like to have these statements: 
Verbs in the present tense represent actions as occur- 
ring in the present time or make statements regarding 



106 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

the present time. Verbs in the past tense represent 
actions as occurring at, or make statements regarding, 
some definite past time, such as five minutes ago, 
yesterday, or last year. 

jNIistakes in the past-tense form of the verb are 
very common. Ordinarily the past form is made 
by adding ed to the present, as in started, ivaiited, 
sneaked, tried, but many of our commonest verbs have 
what we call irregular past tenses. These are the 
correct past-tense forms of some of the most trouble- 
some verbs: came, did, gave, saw, threw, kneic, drew, 
grew, began, rang, caught, taught, ate, burst, hurt, 
chose, lost, lay, said, ran, and kept. Put one or more of 
them into each of the blanks of the following sen- 
tences : 

1. She. . . .a kiss to her father as he went around the 

corner. 

2. As the house. . . .into flames I. . . .someone standing 

in an upper window. 

3. He. . . .out the candle and. . . .it out the window. 

4. The principal. . . .that John was the one who had 

done it. 

5. The boys .... tlieir way but they .... that they would 

get liome if they kept going east. 

6. In the yard. . . .many (iifTcrent kinds of flowers. 

7. Miss Wood.... one of the pupils to act as our 

teac'lier while she. . . .another class. 

8. As Marjorie. . . .in the hammock she. . . .a man 

coming in the gate and slic. . . .it nuist be her 
Uncle John. 

9. As the picnickers. . . .down the mountain side they 

picked the flowers that. . . alon.i,' the ])ath. 
10. The little hoy. . . .his dinner rapidly and. . . out of 
the h()u.s(\ 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 107 

11. Henry. . . .the work so well that I. . . .twice what I 

had promised. 

12. The fall .... me so badly that I . . . . awake all night. 

13. He. . . .that picture on the easel, but I. . . .him the 

one which you. . . .with charcoal last night. 

14. She .... to school with three apples in her pocket. 

She .... the largest, .... me one, and .... the other 
one away before school began. 

15. The wind. . . .down the apple tree that. . . .in front 

of the house. 

By the way, can you explain what a verb is? How 
many forms do we have in the present tense .^^ With 
what sort of subjects is each used.^^ If you are not 
sure on these points, look up "verbs" in the index and 
read the passages indicated there. Such short, defi- 
nite statements of the facts of grammar you will 
find quite worth the trouble of learning. 

44 

An Explosion 

"LOST: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DAWN AND Find your 
dark, a temper. Somewhat worn and frayed but valued problem 
as a keepsake. Color: red." 

This is not an advertisement but a rather thread- 
bare piece of satire upon the person who has let his tem- 
per get the better of him. You've seen — and heard — 
such outbursts. They are interesting and amusing to 
those who are not too closely concerned. Can you re- 
create one scene for the satisfaction of others? Try it. 

This will be a good time to review all that you pp^^;^ 
have learned this year or last about making narra- together 
tives effective. Jot down on scratch paper as many 



108 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

of these ideas as you can recall in three minutes. 
Then join your classmates in the compilation of a 
complete list on the blackboard. Try to apply 
these principles as you prepare your story. 
^tudy Your teacher will divide the class evenly into 

story-tellers and coaches. If you are a story-teller, 
choose your owti coach and rehearse your story to 
him, asking him to point out any way in which you 
could make it more vivid, interesting, or instructive. 
You and your helper may sit together to do this. 
You will, of course, have to talk in whispers. 

\Mien your story is well prepared, read over the 
following selection until you understand it so well 
that if called upon to read it aloud at the close of the 
lesson you could bring out its full meaning. 

Purge Gilt of every heart the lurking grudge. Give us 
grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Offenders, 
give us the grace to accept and forgive offenders. For- 
getful ourselves, help us to bear cheerfully the forgetful- 
ness of others. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet 
mind. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors. 
If it may not be, give us strength to encounter that which 
is to come, that we be brave in peril, constant in tribula- 
tion, temperate in \\Tath, and in all clianges of fortune, 
and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to 

another.^ 

—11. L. STE^'E^'soN. 

Tell your One half of the class have stories to tell today. 
Hiose who have been helpers may continue to help 
by acting as critics. 

Tlic helpers may take seats on one side of the 

'Hy jHTinission of the i)uhlishers, Chnrlos Scribner's Sons. 



stones 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 109 

room as a judging committee. The cooperative Judge 
list of ideas for making narratives effective which stories 
was written on the blackboard during the first part 
of the lesson may now be useful as a means of dis- 
covering the causes of especial success or partial 
failure. Each member of the committee may be 
the chief judge of one story, but the other members 
are to be ready to assist if his opinion is indefinite or 
disputed. 

The proverbs of Solomon in the Bible contain Find out 
many references to the wisdom of restraining one's 
temper. Here is one: "He that is slow to anger is 
better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his 
spirit than he that taketh a city." 

See how many more you can find. 

45 

A Reminder 

Have you had any of the reports upon vocations, 
as you planned some time ago.^^ If you have, per- 
haps it is time for a second set of them. In any 
case, do not neglect to carry out the plan you made 
for the study of this important problem. 

46 

A Dip into the Future 

Five years from to-day — can you imagine it.f^ Find your 
How old shall you be.^^ How big and wise? And ^^^ ^^ 
what shall you be doing then? What of your chum, 
of the boy called "Runt" or "Skeeter," of the girl 



110 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

across the aisle, and of giggling Ida or Sadie? You 
will find it fun to foretell a meeting of six or seven 
of your classmates five years hence. By including 
in your story only a small number of persons you 
will be able to present details of conversation, ap- 
pearance, and manner without making your nar- 
rative unduly long. If you see a chance for a 
good-natured joke, make the most of it, but be sure 
that your joke carries no sting. 
Write This sort of composition requires such careful 

preparation that you had better write the whole 
thing out in pencil first. Such prophecies seem 
more real when expressed in the present tense (as 
if going on now) or in the past tense (as if now over). 
When you have finished the writing, take a class 
period for revision: first, of the ideas; second, of the 
arrangement of the events; and third, of the sentence 
forms and punctuation. Spend about half the time 
in revising your own paper; then exchange papers 
with a neighbor and make suggestions for the im- 
provement of his work. You are at liberty to make 
changes in accordance with your neighbor's advice, 
but you are not required to do so. Make a final 
copy of which you can feel proud. 

If you finish before the others, read what Tenny- 
son, who died before the first successful airplane 
was built, seemed to see in the future. Think how 
nuich of his vision has come true. Perhaps you 
will have time to nuMuorize the lines. 

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, 
Saw the vision of the world and all the wonders that would 
be; 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE ill 

Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails, 
Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly 
bales; 

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rained a 

ghastly dew 
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue; 

Far along the world-wide whisper of the south wind rush- 
ing warm. 

With the standards of the peoples plunging through the 
thunder-storm; 

Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flags 

were furled 
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. 

— Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Locksley Hall} 

Your teacher will decide whether your story is to judge the 
be read aloud or passed along for members of the v^oyhecies 
class to read silently. 

It might be a good plan to pass your papers back 
until each one in a row has had a chance to read the 
papers of that row. The readers might write at the 
end of each paper their estimates of the work — ex- 
cellent, good, fair. The author will then have five 
or six estimates of his composition and can accept 
the judgment of the majority. 

Have you ever read Twenty Thousand Leagues uead at 
Under the Sea, by Jules Verne? In the author's ^^^^ 
day it was a flight of pure fancy, but certain parts of 
it have actually come to pass, and none of it now 
seems so improbable. 

^By permission of the publishers, The Macmillan Company. 



m ENGLISH IN SER\T:CE [ Book 2 ] 

47 

Up Till Now 

Read Not long ago you discovered the meaning of tense 

sxUnily ^^^ learned about present and past tenses. Be- 
sides present and past there are of course other times 
which we wish to indicate by the forms of our verbs. 
Note how in the following stories the forms of the 
verbs keep the time relations clear in the mind of the 
reader. 

An Inspiration 

Fourteen-year-old Marshall Sommers stands motionless 
while the great idea races through his brain and makes his 
pulses leap. He will run away from home, start as office- 
boy, and be a president of a bank before he is forty. He 
has never been more than ten miles from home, but he is 
sure he could take care of himself. He does not know 
anything about the work of an office, but neitlicr did the 
hero of the Alger book which he has just finished. He 
has never worked at home or at school; he has found it 
easier to dream. Now he has finished with dreams. He 
will work hard. He has no money, but he has heard about 
"riding the bumpers" and tliinks he can do what others 
have done. He knows his father will laugh, for his father 
has never believed much in Marshall's courage and persist- 
ence. He knows his mother will cry, for that's what the 
mothers did in all the many "novels" he has read. After 
all, father and mother do not matter so nmch. Marjorie 
will understand. He starts for a last look at her house 
before heading for the railroad yards. Then the realiza- 
tion of the long separation from Marjorie overwhelms him. 
He can Ix^ar the tli()u<,'ht of grinding work, of poor food and 
poorer lodgin<:, c\(mi of scj)a ration from fatlier and mother; 



Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE US 

but life without Marjorie is impossible ! Now for the first 
time Marshall thoroughly realizes what is the matter with 
him. Now he sees it all clearly. It was for Marjorie he 
wanted the money. It was Marjorie's voice he imagined 
congratulating him upon his rapid promotion. Marshall 
has merely fallen in love — for the first time. 

Ambition Satisfied 

One evening twelve years ago little Ernest Schadel 
planted himself in front of father's chair and announced: 
"Dad, I'm going to be a p'fessional pitcher." His father 
knew that Ernie had watched a semi-pro game that after- 
noon and had heard some of the boys talking about the 
tremendous salaries that really great players receive, but 
he supposed that the pitching ambition would be short- 
lived. The boy had never been very strong and gave no 
promise of athletic ability. 

With visions of five-hundred-dollar bills dancing before 
his eyes, Ernest began a course of training remarkably 
systematic even for a man. He had always complained 
about going to bed at eight- thirty; now he began to go at 
eight or earlier — without being sent. Whatever food his 
mother suggested would make him strong, he now ate, even 
the carrots which had always disgusted him. He had 
never been a bookish youngster, yet within a year he knew 
more about ball players and ball playing than the most 
devoted college "fan." Most of this he got out of the 
newspapers and the annual Player's Guide* His teacher 
said his reading power increased at least seventy -five per 
cent during the year. 

Ever since then Schadel has been just as devoted to 
his chosen calling. He has been as careful of his health 
as a doubtful candidate for a track team. He has played 
baseball or watched it whenever an opportunity offered or 
could be manufactured. He has talked baseball strategy 
with every fan and player he has met. He has read all the 
rule books, most of the magazine articles, and a great deal 



114 ENGLISH IX SE^^CE [Booh 2] 

of the newspaper comment on baseball. It is no wonder 
that he knows the fine points of the game; he has picked 
up one idea here and another there until he knows them 
all. He has practised by the hour every warm day, until 
he can throw a ball just as he pleases, just where he pleases. 
This year he is the chief reliance of the Blue Sox and draws 
a salary which would make many bankers envious. He 
has won as many games as any two of the other pitchers 
on the Blue Sox staff, and will probably finish the season 
at the head of the American League twirlers. Up to the 
time of his sudden resolution he had never shown any 
especial ability or interest in any sort of sports. Then 
he deliberately set out to become the world's greatest ball 
player. He has worked for fifteen years with enthusiasm 
and care. Now he has attained his ambition, and is ac- 
tually the greatest pitcher the game has produced. 



Study Your teacher will decide whether you are to study 

^ " one of these stories or both. Find the j)laces where 

the time changes. List on the board the verbs which 

indicate these time changes, and explain just what 

change each one shows. 

As you examine the individual verbs in these 
stories you find several instances of the present 
tense and of the past tense, but the majority of the 
verbs are neither of these. There are a few of which 
icill or shall is a part. You will see at once that 
these refer to time which has not yet come — the 
future. Such verbs are, we say, in the future tense. 
It would be well, before you go any further, to mark 
in the list on the blackboard the present, i)ast, and 
future tenses. 

There are, besides the forms marked, a large 
number of verbs of which lias or liavc is a part. Try 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 115 

to determine by glancing through the story again 
to what time these have or has verbs refer. Is it 
the present — now? Is it the future — hereafter? 
Is it some definite past time — last night, a year ago, 
or when he was young? Which of the tenses which 
you already know is this one most like? How does 
it differ from that one? To help you in your work 
upon this rather puzzling point here are some other 
examples of this same form. 

1. I have just finished my breakfast. 

2. Now that I have finished this letter, what shall I do? 

3. I have worked at this problem for five minutes, but 

I can't see how to get it. 

4. He has surely reached home by this time! 

5. I have studied so hard all morning that I am tired. 

6. You have worked for that firm ten years, haven't 

you? 

7. The white man has lived in America only since 1600. 

You have probably concluded that these verbs 
refer to past time. You may have noticed that 
this past time immediately precedes but does not 
include the present. It may be long or short. 
Finishing one's breakfast, if one is speaking very 
strictly, is only swallowing the last mouthful, and 
occupies a very brief time. At the other extreme, 
have worked, in You have worked for that firm ten 
years, indicates time which, though immediately pre- 
ceding the present, extends back ten years. In sen- 
tence 7 has lived reaches down through three hundred 
years. All these verbs are, we say, in the present 
perfect tense. Which of these statements do you 
like better? (1) The present perfect tense denotes 



116 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

time immediately preceding, but not including, the 
present. (2) The present perfect tense denotes past 
time extending up to the present. (3) The present 
perfect tense denotes action completed at or before 
the present moment. 

The third statement, indeed, covers another case 
of the present perfect which we have not noticed 
before. It is illustrated by these sentences: 

1. I believe I have met Mr. Johnson. 

2. Have you seen William this morning? 

3. I have never heard of him. 

4. I have, of course, studied fractions, but I am afraid 

I have forgotten most of what I learned. 

These verbs still refer to past time, past time any 
time before the present. There is quite a difference 
between I have met Mr. Johnson before and I met 
Mr. Johnson last year at your house. When I say 
/ have studied fractions, I have no definite time in 
mind, but when I say I studied fractions, I have a 
very definite time in mind and assume that my 
readers know it, too. I am thinking / studied frac- 
tions last year, or / studied fractions in Miss TJen- 
dricksons room. Careful si)eakers, you will find, 
never use the past time unless they do thus have 
a definite time in mind. Indefinite past time is 
expressed by the present perfect tense. Would it 
be correct for the inunigrant who arrived in this 
country three years ago to say, / am in America 
three years, or / was in America three years? W^hat 
should he say? Why? Would it be correct for me 
to say, / didnt ivrite that letter yet? W^hat would 
be better? 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 117 

Point out in class all the present perfect verbs in 
"An Inspiration" or "Ambition Satisfied." 

You will not need to be on your guard against us- 
ing the present perfect tense when it is not needed. 
Such an error is very rare. The great difficulty is 
that too many of us neglect it altogether, using either 
present or past in its place and so making statements 
which are not quite true and therefore not clear. 

Irregular verbs give trouble here, too. With have 
or has we use a part of the verb called the past par- 
ticiple — e. g., has done, has sat, has gone, has written. 

48 
Practice 
Supply a verb for the blank in each of these sen- Work 



tences and tell why the tense you have used is 
correct : 

1. My brother says he. . . .here for the last week. 

2. We .... three days on the subject, and we think we 
.... all that we can. 

3. By this time the boys. . . .their dinner and very 
likely. . . .down town. 

4. For three weeks John. . . .at five o'clock every 
morning but he is not strong enough to keep it up. 

5. Coupons which. . . .off are of no value. 

6. I her two letters but I. . . .no answer. 

7. Since I moved here in 1910, 1 . . . . ten families move 
into that place and out again after staying three months 
or less. 

8. Year after year the business .... larger until it ... . 
us to seek a larger building. 

9. Isn't that a shame! Someone. . . .a stone through 
that big window. 



together 



118 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

10. It probably. . . .behind the dresser when we were 
cleaning house last spring and .... there ever since. 

11. ^Vhen you. . . .the ice cream, you may ice the cake. 

12. According to the records of this court you. . . .the 
speed ordinance three times; so I shall impose the heaviest 
fine the law allows. 

13. Mary .... my cousin when they both lived in 
Pawnee. 

14. The detective thinks Karlik. . . small sums before. 

15. In each case the thief. . . .gloves to avoid leaving 
fingerprints. 

Write Write out ten sentences of at least ten words each 

in which the present perfect tense is required. 

Write out five sentences of similar length in which 
the past tense is required. 

If you finish before the others, take one of the 
magazines or newspapers from the table, select a 
short paragraph showing as many tenses as possible, 
and copy it on the blackboard. Underscore the 
verbs used — the present once, the past twice, the 
present perfect three times, and the future with a 
wavy line. 

49 

Trouble Makers 

Shulu Every verb has certain forms which are called its 

ioge^icr principal parts because from these forms e\'ery 

tense of the verl) may be made. The j)rincii)al 

parts of any verb are the present ten.se, the pad 

ten.se, and the past participle. 

In nuiuy verbs the past tense and past participle 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



119 



[ Book 2 

are made regularly by adding d or ed to the present 
tense, as: 



sent Tense 


Fast Tense 


Fast Participle 


tie 


tied 


tied 


talk 


talked 


talked 



These regular verbs give us little trouble. Our 
most common verbs, however, are irregular, and 
consequently we have to memorize their principal 
parts, if we do not know them as a result of daily use. 

In each of the sentences following the table of 
principal parts the blanks stand for forms of the 
verbs in parentheses. Supply the correct forms, 
consulting the table of principal parts if necessary, 
and read the completed sentences aloud. Unless 
the class was very good on tenses the other day, it 
will be well to tell why each verb is in the tense it is, 
or just what the significance of the tense of each 
verb is. 

Principal Parts 



Present Tense 


Past Tense 


Past PaHiciph 


begin 


began 


begun 


blow 


blew 


blown 


break 


broke 


broken 


burst 


burst 


burst 


catch 


caught 


caught 


choose 


chose 


chosen 


come 


came 


come 


do 


did 


done 


draw 


drew 


drawn 


drink 


drank 


drunk 



120 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 2 



Present Tense 


Past Tense 


Past ParticipU 


drive 


drove 


driven 


eat 


ate 


eaten 


fall 


fell 


fallen 


fly 


flew 


flown 


freeze 


froze 


frozen 


get 


got 


got or gotten 


give 


gave 


given 


go 


went 


gone 


grow 


grew 


grown 


know 


knew 


known 


lay 


laid^ 


laid! 


lie 


lay 


lain 


ring 


rang 


rung 


rise 


rose 


risen 


see 


saw 


seen 


set 


set 


set 


sit 


sat 


sat 


speak 


spoke 


spoken 


steal 


stole 


stolen 


take 


took 


taken 


teach 


taught 


taught 


tear 


tore 


torn 


throw 


threw 


thrown 


write 


wrote 


written 


wear 


wore 


worn 


wring 


wrung 


wrung 



1 



1. (see, hurst) According to the account which I. . . .in 

the pa|H>r, the hoilcr. . . .and scalded him to death. 

2. (come, catch, give) Father. . . .liome unexpectedly at 

ten o'clock and. . . .me playing hooky; the whip 

Mlcally a regular vcrh, with a slightly unusual si)clling. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 121 

ping that he ... . me .... hurt worse than any I had 
ever had. 

3. (teach) I . . . . my dog to say his prayers. 

4. (go, come, know) I. . . .downstairs and started the 

fire before mother .... home for I . . . . that if I did 
not she would not let me do it later. 

5. (lose, run, give) I tried to tell all about it but I 

. . . .my courage and. . . .away; since then my con- 
science .... me no rest. 

6. (catch, take, throw) We. . . .so many fish that we 

could not bring them all home ; so we ... . the best 
and. . . . the rest into the water. 

7. (burst, give) Even then the fish were so heavy that 

they .... the bottom out of the basket and so we 
.... away several of them. 

8. (give, choose, lie) She .... me my choice and I . . . . 

the one that .... on top. 

9. (see, begin) As soon as I ... . the knife I .... to shake. 

10. (catch, give) When your mother. . . .me trying to 

get a second apple she. .. .it to me. 

11. (begin, burst) We. . . .to run at the first peal of 

thunder, but the storm. . . .upon us before we 
reached home. 

12. (ring) He was half a mile away when the bell 

13. (come, go) Although I. . . .just as early as I could, 

every one but Silas .... before I arrived. 

14. (see, speak) If Henry and Alice .... you at the 

circus they. . . .never. . . .to you again. 

15. (do) The Seniors on the team. . . .so well in solicit- 

ing advertising that if the Juniors .... anything at 
all we should have secured more than enough. 

16. (begin, see, catch) It was 8:30 when the play 

If it. .. .on time we could. . . .the last act and still 
. . . .this train. 

17. (see, throw, ring) Ethel must .... you coming around 

the house, for she .... me a warning glance when 
you .... the bell. 



122 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

18. (go, tear, lay) Yesterday noon when you .... home, 

I . . . . that sheet out of my notebook and .... it 
on your desk. 

19. (drive, throw, eat) As we .... down the street 

Wyant .... chunks of bread to the men who .... 
greedily without butter or water. 

20. (choose, choose) When I was captain I . . . . Ruth 

first and Jean .... by the other captain before I 
had another choice. 

21. (lie, tear) On the shelf .... a single sheet which .... 

from a bible. 

22. (run, give) I still remember how that horse .... 

when I . . . . our class j^ell. 

23. (shine, lie) The candles .... dinih' upon us as we 
.... do^^^l to sleep. 

24. (rise, do) Prices .... so much faster than wages 

that we .... well to get enough to eat and wear. 
2o. (blow, burst) The wind .... so hard during the 
storm that it .... in the big show window in Ha- 
ley's drug store. 

26. (do, give,) I have never felt that I . . . . my best 

on that occasion or .... full credit for what I 
actually did. 

27. (see, go) The week you were here we .... The 

Ycllmv Jacket and the week before we .... to see 
The Rivals. 

28. (write) What do you tliink is the best story R. H. 

Barbour . . .. ? 

29. (see, ring, begin) As soon as Harry .... the first 

smoke, .... the alarm and .... to open the emer- 
gency exits. 

30. (.see, eat, drink) Tlie doctor .... at once that the 

tranij) ... loo little iind .... too nuich. 

If your teacher thinks yon need .still more drill, he 
will allow any pupil who can think of a .sentence re- 
(|niring the })ast tcn.sc of a \'crl) from the table to 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 123 

write it on the board just as these sentences are 
written. Members of the class may then fill in the 
blanks. 

50 

Practice 

Choose from the table of principal parts of irregu- Memorize 
lar verbs on pages 117-8 a "naughty nine" or a 
"troublesome twelve" and memorize them as per- 
fectly as the multiplication table. 

One of your chief difficulties in connection with Study 
irregular verbs will be the use of the past parti- 
ciple. This form is called a participle because it is 
only part of the verb of the sentence. We never say 
I done it. If we want to use done as the verb of our 
sentence, we must give it some helping or auxiliary 
verb and say / have done it, or The work was done 
well. The careful observance of this simple rule that 
the past participle is not used alone as the verb of a sen- 
tence would eliminate most of our common errors 
with verbs. Past tense forms may stand alone as 
verbs, but the past participle must have an aux- 
iliary. 

Considering each row a team, engage in a contest Practice 
in using irregular verbs in the past tense in sentences 
of not less than ten words each. Your teacher will 
give the present forms of the verbs and allow each 
player half a minute to complete his sentence. 

Perhaps you would like to play some ten-minute pi^y i^^ 
verb games this week. If there is a member of your ^«"^^ 
class who letters well, let him make a large chart of 
the difficult verbs and their principal parts. The 



124 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

chart must be large and the printing heavy enough 
to be seen from all parts of the room. Then de- 
vise as many games as possible, using the chart as a 
basis. For example, a leader may be chosen who 
will point for an instant to a verb-form and call a 
pupil's name as he points. The pupil thus called 
upon must use in a sentence the verb-form indicated. 
If he fails to use it correctly or is caught because 
he wasn't watching when the pointer moved, he 
must stand at the back of the room. \Mien three 
players are standing at the back of the room, they 
may be required to pay a forfeit by going through 
the entire chart in turn, using each verb-form in a 
sentence. 

51 

The Time Before 

Study The past perfect tense has the same relation to the 

^^^ ^^^ past time that the present perfect has to the present. 
It denotes action before some definite past time, 
which is either indicated in the sentence or clearly 
understood from the remainder of the conversation 
or writing. You will see this most readily, probably, 
by taking the story of "An Inspiration," and chang- 
ing the present to some definite past time, as yester- 
day, or last night. You will then find it necessary to 
rephice the present perfect verbs; and the forms with 
had whicli you are sure to substitute for them will be 
forms in the past perfect tense. This tense gives 
less trouble than the present perfect, although it is 
sometimes incorrectly displaced by the past tense. 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 125 

The same past participles which are part of the 
present perfect forms are used with had to make 
the past perfect forms. The same irregular ones give 
trouble in both tenses. 

Write ten sentences requiring the past perfect Write 
tense. Make sure that each one contains a definite 
past time before which the action of the past perfect 
verb took place. 

If you finish before the others, go to the black- 
board and see if you can write out a table of forms 
like the following for the verb go and the verb 
break, 

PRESENT TIME 

Present I see 

PAST TIME 

Present perfect I have seen 

Past I saw 
Past perfect I had seen 

FUTURE TIME 

Future I shall see 
Future perfect I shall have seen 

52 

Progressives 

The girls were sitting on the broad window sill of the Read 
study room. They were too high to hear what the boys **^«'^% 
were saying but not too far away to observe that the group 
below had something unusual on foot. 

"What do you suppose they are planning now.?^" asked 
Mildred. 



126 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

Janet looked down. "I don't know," she said. *'I 
suppose it's another trip to their secret cave. I wish they 
wouldn't be so mysterious about it. They think that 
we are spending all our time trying to find their hiding 
place." 

"We certainly are trying," laughed Martha. "I shall 
be guessing where they are going all afternoon, but I think 
that I'll break up this meeting just for fun." 

She leaned out and emptied the bag of peanuts she was 
holding over the heads of the conspirators below. Plop, 
plop, plop! fell the peanuts upon the astonished group. 
The boj^s looked up, grinned as they saw the girls in the 
window, gathered up what nuts they could, and sought 
refuge in Brick's barn. 

Study Make a list on the blackboard of all the verbs used 

"^^ ^^ in this incident. Don't pick out such verbs as 
to hear or io fitid, which are really not used as verbs 
at all, but choose verbs that have subjects. Now see 
in how many cases you can tell the tense of the verb 
from your previous studies. After you have dis- 
cussed the verbs you know, erase them from your 
list. You will find that you have left on the board 
some forms like were saying and are planning that 
are new to you. 

Can you exj)lain how these forms differ in meaning 
from had said or have phnuied? Is the action repre- 
sented by these forms completed or still going on.-^ 
To what forms are they most nearly equivalent.^ 
What would be the effect of substituting said and 
plan in the opening sentences of the story .^^ Point out 
all the verbs in the story that express action in a sim- 
ilar way. Such verb-forms are said to be progressive 
because the action is still in ])rogress. Are planning, 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 127 

were saying, shall he guessing are all progressive. Can 
you explain what time each represents? 

Pick out progressive forms in the following sen- 
tences and tell in each case whether the tense is 
present progressive, past progressive, or future 
progressive. 

1. I was trying on my new dress when the doorbell 

rang. 

2. He is still working at the third problem in the alge- 

bra lesson. 

3. The walls were tottering as the hero jumped from 

the window. 

4. I shall be waiting at the depot for you. 

5. The boat was just drawing away from the wharf 

as he leaped on board. 

6. The photographer is developing your films at this 

very moment. 

7. She is knitting a sweater for her brother who has 

joined the navy. 

8. Our salesman will be making a trip through your 

territory next week, and will try to stimulate in- 
terest in our new line. 

9. The nuts were falling all about us as the boys 

shook the tree vigorously. 
10. He was trying to find some descendant of the 
Wright family. 

53 

A Summary 

From all your preceding studies of the time ex- study 
pressed by different verb-forms, you will be able to 
understand the following summary of the various 
tenses of a verb. 



128 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

PRESENT TIME 

Present tense I write 

Present progressive tense I am writing 
(Action going on) 

PAST TIME 

Present perfect tense I have written 

(Action completed) 
Past tense I wrote 

Past progressive tense I was writing 

(Action going on) 
Past perfect tense I had written 

(Action completed) 

FUTURE TIME 

Future tense I shall write 

Future progressive tense I shall be writing 

(Action going on) 
Future perfect tense I shall have written 

(Action completed) 

It will be well to try giving this summary of tense 
forms with troublesome verbs from the list on pages 
117-8, and in so doing you will doubtless memorize the 
table given here. ]Much more important than the 
summary itself, however, is the ability to express 
time exactly in speaking and writing. Practice in 
using these tense forms in sentences may help you to 
acquire a real power to use verbs accurately. 

54 

Vocations Again 

This is merely a reminder of your plan to study 
vocations and a suggestion that when you have 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 129 

reached this page it is probably time for another set 
of reports upon that subject. 

55 

The Best Policy 

When Frank A. VanderHp, the great banker, was 
asked how he picked men for positions paying 
$25,000 a year, he said: 



I want men of unquestioned integrity; that goes with- 
out saying. Many a man has lost all chance of a place 
with me by telling me about the smart things he has done, 
by trying to explain how cute he has been. I don't want 
"smart" people. We haven't time here to be cute. 



Do most people agree that honesty is the best Discuss in 
policy? Could business go on as it does if business ^^^** 
men did not trust one another.'^ Is " policy " the only 
reason for being honest .^^ 

Now you are ready for stories of honesty and dis- pi^^ y^yi^^ 
honesty, stories either of business men and women vrohlem 
or of boys and girls. Truthfulness and misrepre- 
sentation either by word or action are really forms cf 
honesty and dishonesty. Your narrative will be 
more interesting and valuable if you can trace the 
results of the action you relate. 

Put your story into the best possible written Write 
form. Scrutinize your verb-forms carefully to be 
sure that the forms used express just the time you 
mean. Watch out for paragraphs, and punctuate 
your conversation exactly. 



130 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

If you finish before the others, read the following: 



Success is spelled with two Vs, 
Industry and Initiative. 



THE SUCCESS CAR 

To go forward — work 
To go backward — shirk 



Judge the 
stories 



Read at 
home 



Can you make a similar success motto or slogan? 
How much can you say in a few striking words? If 
you think of a good one, write it on the blackboard. 

Your teacher will select some excellent papers, as 
different from one another as possible, to be read 
aloud. Your enjoyment of the stories will not be 
lessened if you ask: (1) Are the events probable? (2) 
Is the language natural and vigorous? (3) Does the 
story seem worth while? Perhaps your teacher will 
allow you to dramatize the story which seems most 
interesting to the class. The papers most correct 
in form should be posted on the bulletin board as 
models. If you are not sure about the punctuation 
and paragraphing of yours, compare it with one of the 
models. 

If you have not read Orison Swett Marden's 
TTow They Succeeded you will be much interested in 
the true stories which it offers. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 131 

56 

Thrillers 

While the villain and the hero struggle upon the Read 
edge of the cliff, when the pursuing automobile leaps ** ^^ ^ 
in air across the narrow canyon, when the repentant 
son begs forgiveness of the icy father, or when the 
heroine is about to eat the poisoned candy, the 
audience at the movie theater leans forward with 
tense hands gripping the edges of the seats, and 
almost ceases to breathe. You have been there, 
haven't you? 

Such scenes as these can be put on paper, too. 
It's only a matter of putting into words what one 
sees upon the screen. This is not something which 
requires genius; it can be done by anyone who will 
take sufficient pains. You can find such gripping 
scenes in our finest classics, of course; but you can 
find them in "penny dreadfuls" also. The chief 
secret of success is to use sufficient detail, expressed 
in rather short, sharp sentences, or at least in a 
series of brief independent clauses. 

Choose a moment of this sort from some movie Find your 
or play that you have seen, or from some first-hand 
experience, if you happen to have had one, and work 
it up. Doubtless, you can learn to do this thing 
offhand, orally; but for the present you will find it 
necessary to write and revise in order to get in 
sufficient detail and in order to make your sentences 
sufficiently biting. 

When you write this story, follow the usual writing 



132 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

Write procedure. After you liave jotted down your out- 
line of events, let your pencil race over the paper as 
the picture races through your mind. Then reread 
and polish what you have WTitten. Be your own 
censor. Be able to say when you have finished, 
"Passed by the Board of Censorship." 

If you finish before the others, read this thrilling 
scene from Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, and see 
how simply, clearly, and impressively the great 
master of literature presents his characters in action. 

{The good bishop^ Monseigneur Bienvenu, gives the con- 
vict Jean Valjean shelter for the night ichen none will take 
him in. The convict repays the bishop's kindness by rob- 
bing him of his silverware. The bishop discovers his loss 
in the morning but pities the poor wretch and hopes that 
he ivill get away, as recapture will mean the galleys for life.) 

As the brother and sister were about to rise from the 
table, there came a knock at the door. 

"Come in," said the Bishop. 

The door oi>ened. A singular and violent group made 
its appearance on the threshold. Three men were holding 
a fourth man by the collar. The three men were gen- 
darmes; the other was Jean Valjean. 

A brigadier of gcndarmos, who seemed to be in command 
of the group, was standing near the door. He entered and 
advanced to the Bishop, making a military salute. 

"Monseigneur " said he. 

At this word, Jean \ aljeau, who was dejected and 
seemed overwhelmed, raised his head with an air of stupe- 
faction. 

"Monseigneur!" he murmured. "So he is not the 
curer 

" Silence ! " said the gendarme. "He is Monseigneur the 
Bishop." 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 133 

In the meantime, Monseigneur Bienvenu had advanced 
as quickly as his great age permitted. 

*'Ah! here you are!" he exclaimed, looking at Jean Val- 
jean. "I am glad to see you. Well, but how is this? 
I gave you the candlesticks, too, which are of silver like the 
rest, and for which you certainly can get two hundred 
francs. Why did you not carry them away with ^our 
forks and spoons?" 

Jean Valjean opened his eyes wide, and stared at the 
venerable Bishop with an expression which no human 
tongue can render an account of. 

"Monseigneur," said the brigadier of gendarmes, "so 
what this man said is true, then? We came across him. He 
was walking like a man who is running away. We stopped 
him to look into the matter. He had this silver " 

"And he told you," interposed the Bishop with a smile, 
"that it had been given to him by a kind old fellow of a 
priest with whom he had passed the night? I see how the 
matter stands. And you have brought him back here? 
It is a mistake." 

"In that case," replied the brigadier, "we can let him go?" 

"Certainly," replied the Bishop. 

The gendarmes released Jean Valjean, who recoiled. 

"Is it true that I am to be released?" he said, in an al- 
most inarticulate voice, and as though he were talking in 
his sleep. 

"Yes, thou art released; dost thou not understand?" 
said one of the gendarmes. 

"My friend," resumed the Bishop, "before you go, here 
are your candlesticks. Take them." 

He stepped to the chimneypiece, took the two silver 
candlesticks, and brought them to Jean Valjean. The 
two women looked on without uttering a word, without a 
gesture, without a look which could disconcert the Bishop. 
Jean Valjean was trembling in every limb. He took the 
two candlesticks mechanically, and with a bewildered air. 

"Now," said the Bishop, "go in peace. By the wav;. 



134 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

when you return, my friend, it is not necessary to pass 
through the garden. You can ahvays enter and depart 
through the street door. It is never fastened with any- 
thing but a latch, either by day or by night." 

Then, turning to the gendarmes: — 

"You may retire, gentlemen." 

The gendarmes retired. 

Jean Valjean was like a man on the point of fainting. 

The Bishop drew near to him, and said in a low voice: — 

"Do not forget, never forget, that you have promised 
to use this money in becoming an honest man." 

Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of ever having 
promised anything, remained speechless. The Bishop had 
emphasized the words when he uttered them. He resumed 
with solemnity: — 

"Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to 
evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I 
withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdi- 
tion, and I give it to God."^ 

Judge the YouT tcachcr will allow you to have a "movie" 
day to road the conij)ositions you have written. As 
each one will probably deal with a different subject, 
it will be interesting to hear all of them read aloud. 

As each story is read aloud write down on a long 
strip of paper the author's name and any comment 
upon the composition that seems necessary. Hand 
your list of connnents to your teacher. He will be 
interested to compare your connnents with his own. 
A millionaire's son falls from an ocean liner into the 

Tiratl (If sea and is given up for lost but is in reality picked 
up by a little fishing schooner. This is but the first 
of the thrills in (Uipiains Courageous, Kipling's story 
of the Newfoundland fisheries. 

•Hy iMTinission of Tlioinas V. Crowrll ;nul Company, the publishers. 



nine 



CHAPTER V 

57 

Some Strange Histories 

Some years ago the leading retail store in a large ^^^^ 
city decided that its salespeople would be more 
effective if they knew the origin and preparation of 
the articles they were selling. This information was 
supplied, and proved both surprising and interesting 
to the salespeople. The raw materials had come 
from the four corners of the earth and had passed 
through complicated and astonishing processes, but 
the employees had previously looked upon them with 
indifference. Because they did not know, they were 
not interested. Having the same lack of knowledge, 
we also fail to recognize and appreciate the romance 
of common things. To know the history of the 
stock of any retail grocery, dry goods, drug, or 
variety store is to have a really liberal education. 
The pursuit of such knowledge will take one not 
only to the centers of commerce and industry, but to 
many a picturesque, out-of-the-way nook. It will 
reveal not only scientific laws and industrial process- 
es, but also a great deal that is of human interest. 

Suppose, then, that the members of your class Fmdyour 
undertake to instruct one another by means of re- ^^^^^^^ 
ports upon the origin and preparation of various 

{Book 2 \ 135 



136 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

articles in one of the stores mentioned in the pre- 
ceding paragraph. You will find that it adds to the 
interest to take all the articles at first from the same 
kind of store, considering another kind of store later 
if you wish to continue such work. Before setting 
about the preparation of your own report, make sure 
that the article you have chosen to tell about has 
not been taken by someone else. An easy way to 
do this will be to hand in on a slip of paper bearing 
your name a statement of the subject you prefer. 
These slips may be examined for possible duplicates 
and any necessary changes made. 
Gather The preparation of any informational talk usually 

yourjacs Yec{w\vQs widc reading and careful taking of notes for 
later use. Much of this preliminary work will have 
to be done in a library. Perhaps you can find pic- 
tures or exhibits illustrating ])rocesses in the prepara- 
tion or manufacture of the article you are studying. 
Much useful information is put out in advertising 
pamphlets. Start today to collect everything 
that has a bearing upon your topic. Reports will 
be called for on dates set by your group, but time 
will be allowed in class, just preceding the talks, for 
organizing your information and practising the pres- 
entation of your report. 



Tapioca 

Read Tapiooa is made from tlic root of a tropical slirub which 

silently jj. ,„()st cominoiily known as cassava. The bush is about 

as large as our lihic, but spreads out more. The leaves are 

divided into k)ng fin^'crs hke those of a cliestnut or a buck- 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 137 

eye tree, with the fingers omitted on the side toward the 
stem. 

The root is tuberous — that is, it has enlargements, hke 
those of our potato or sweet potato, composed largely of 
starch. The tuber of the cassava seems to be the main 
root, as in our sweet potato. It is from one to three inches 
thick and may be four feet long. It usually has branches 
from its base so that a complete root looks much like a 
cluster of sweet potatoes or a bunch of carrots of uneven 
size. One tuber may weigh twenty -five pounds. 

To make tapioca the root is crushed by machinery and 
this pulp washed down a chute to a sieve, where the fibre 
is removed. The starch is dissolved by the water and 
then allowed to settle. After this it is heated in metal 
basins to dry it and to drive off an unpleasant acid con- 
tained in the raw starch. The small pellets in which it 
comes to us are formed by the sudden drying of the starchy 
paste. It cracks up just as the ground does when a very 
hot day follows a rain, but to a greater extent, because 
the drying is much more rapid. The pieces become 
rounded by rubbing against each other. 

Tapioca is just as pure starch as fine white flour, and, 
though eaten as a dessert, it is one of the most nourishing 
dishes. Because it will grow in almost any hot climate — 
Florida, Africa, Java — it is not unduly expensive. Tapi- 
oca pudding might well be on our tables more frequently 
than it is. 

In this explanation there are several ideas which Discuss 
it is diflficult to make clear to one who does not have ^^"** 
them. What device has the writer used to present 
the appearance of the bush and of the root.^ Does 
it succeed .f^ Do you know any better way to do it? 
How is the formation of the pellets or grains made 
clear.? 

Note that in each instance the unknown thing is 



138 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [Book 2] 

compared to something familiar. Note, too, that 
the way in which the unknown thing resembles the 
known one is stated, and that the differences be- 
tween them also are indicated. 

Think of comparisons by means of which yon 
could make these ideas clear to the audiences indi- 
cated : 

1. A department store, to a country cousin. 

2. The principle of the aeroplane, to a fifth-grade boy. 

3. The appearance of Indian corn, to a native of 

Yucatan. 

4. The inner address of a business letter, to one who 

has repeatedly forgotten the plain statement. 

5. The appearance and performance of a phonograph, 

to any civilized person who has not seen one. 

6. Reading and writing, to a child of four. 

7. Ping pong, to a devotee of outdoor sports. 

8. The game of golf (not the fine points), to an old 

man who has never seen it. 

9. The gasoline tractor (no details), to a city girl of 

eight years. 
10. The appearance of some rare tree, to a classmate. 

Study If you have the information and material ready 

for your report on the store article chosen, make 
an outhne that will hclj) you to give a well- 
arranged presentation of your topic. Copy the 
outline on a small card or ])iccc of j)aper which 
you can hold in your hand as you talk. Think out 
some comparisons that will help to make unfamiliar 
points clear to your audience. Practise giving your 
report to yourself. 

When your report is well prepared, use whatever 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE l3d 

time is left to read this account of a curious article 
of commerce, and see if you can tell in one sentence 
why it is so important to our wheat crop. 

In Yucatan, and nowhere else in the world, grows a 
species of plant somewhat like the century plant, the 
leaves of which yield a fiber known to commerce as sisal 
hemp. The fiber is strong, easily cut with a knife, and not 
affected by dampness. It is used for making cordage, nets, 
cables, and bagging. Cord made of sisal hemp is much 
needed in the United States for use on the farms in binding 
machines. Indeed, the binder would be quite useless with- 
out sisal cord, as no satisfactory substitute has ever been 
found for use in the machine. The knives of the binder 
will not cut wire, and no other cord of similar thickness 
has the requisite strength and pliability. During the 
war, when the life of the nation depended to a large extent 
upon the wheat crop, the importance of sisal hemp was 
immediately recognized and efforts were made to insure 
the usual importation from Yucatan, that nothing might 
interfere with the harvesting of the wheat. 

These reports will be so interesting and instructive Give your 
that every member of the class ought to have time ^^'P^^^^ 
for a full presentation of what he has prepared. To 
give every one a chance to talk may require several 
periods, but the time will be well spent. The speak- 
ers should exhibit whatever pictures and material 
they have collected and be ready to answer the 
questions of the audience. 

At the close of each talk any member of the class j^^ge the 
may ask about any point which was not clear to him, rejports 
or may ask for information which he thinks should 
have been included but was not. Your teacher will 



140 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

decide whether the fault hiy in the explaining or in 
the listening. 

58 

Common Scientific Phenomena 

Discuss in You know, probably, why we have thunder in 
class summer but seldom in winter; why an electric globe 

goes off like a pistol when it is broken; why certain 
colors appear changed under lamp light. If you do, 
there are some of your classmates who don't and who 
would be glad to know. In a class discussion help 
to work up a list of scientific phenomena like these 
which you would like to have explained. Here are 
a few suggestions, to start the list: 

How does lightning cause thunder? 

What makes hail? 

Why does a gun kick? 

Why doesn't water fall out of a bucket swung rapidly in 

a vertical circle? 
WTiat makes the rainbow? 
Why is there no dew on a cloudy night? 
Wliy are we liotter on a humid day in summer? 
Why cannot l)urning oil be put out with water? 
Why can a man willi a crowbar move sucli a tremendous 

weight? 

Find your Choose for report one of the questions from the 
pnMnn jj^^ r^^^\ inform your teacher of your choice. Since 
you will probably want to consult reference books 
in the library and to colK'ct data ui)()n tlic subject, 
nothing more will be said al)()ut the ])r()blcin for two 
or three days*. 



Booh '2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 141 



Weathering 

The shape of the earth's surface is constantly changed Uead 
by the forces of nature, especially by those things we speak silently 
of in general as the weather. We are told that the rather 
rounded and comparatively low mountains of the eastern 
United States were probably once as high and sharp as the 
Rockies, but that they have been weathered down to their 
present size and form. The action of the same forces 
may be seen by anyone who will look at the monuments 
in an old cemetery. Tombstones a hundred years old no 
longer have smooth and polished surfaces, and in many 
cases the lettering is entirely illegible because so much of 
the stone has been eaten away. 

In our climate water is the most active of these forces 
of nature. Every rain falling upon the earth's surface 
wears it a little bit. If the surface is soft, the rain washes 
it away rapidly. We are all familiar with the muddy wa- 
ter which runs off the ground. Certain kinds of rock, too, 
though they seem so hard, are dissolved by rain and dew. 
Finally, when the least crack is made in the surface of a 
rock water seeps in, and when the water expands through 
freezing the crack is widened and the rock eventually split. 
Thus little pieces are cracked off and great rocks are 
broken up. 

If you will examine the verbs in this partial ex- ^tudy 
planation of weathering, you will note that very ^^^ 
many of them express action which is done to the sub- 
ject — for instance, they have been weathered down, 
we ARE TOLD, little pieces are split off. These verbs, 
which express action done to the subject, are in the 
passive voice. We call it the passive voice because 
the subject is passive, is being acted upon. Verbs 
which express action done by the subject are in the 



142 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

active voice. Notice that these forms of the passive 
voice are made up of (1) is, was, has been, will be, or 
some other form of the verb be, and (2) the past 
participle (sometimes called the passive participle) 
of some other verb. This past participle is the 
same form that you found used with have, has, 
and had, in the present perfect and the past perfect 
tenses. Most of the errors in the use of the passive 
voice are caused by forgetting the correct form of 
the past participle. The troublesome verbs are 
the same ones which were brought to your notice in 
your study of the present perfect tense. Perhaps 
you ought to review them.^^ 

The value of the passive voice is that it gives us a 
way of saying a thing without emphasizing the doer 
of the action. In some cases we do not wish to em- 
phasize the person or thing performing the action. 
For instance, in the preceding paragraph, were called 
to your attention in your study of the present perfect 
might have been stated thus : which we called to your 
attention during your study of the present perfect 
tense. This would have boon to emphasize ourselves, 
whereas we wished to direct your attention to the 
thing that was done. By means of the passive voice 
we were able to drop ourselves out of the sentence en- 
tirely. In other cases we do not know who per- 
formed the act, or, if we know, we cannot name him 
briefly. In the second sentence of the article on 
"Weathering," by whom are we told.^ Perhaps we 
might say scientists tell ns, or geographers tell us, but 
these expressions are very indefinite; the real truth 
is that we are interested not so much in who tells us 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 143 

as in the fact that we are told. To tell by what the 
mountains have been weathered away before you 
had read the remainder of the explanation would 
have been difficult. Even now no simple subject 
can be used except some indefinite one, such as the 
forces of nature. Clearly the passive voice furnishes 
a smoother and more satisfactory way of making that 
statement. 

Look through the article and through the explana- 
tion which follows it for other examples of the passive 
voice. Consider in each case whether the passive 
voice is better than the active would have been. 

The verbs of the following sentences are in the ac- 
tive voice. Restate the sentences, making the new 
subjects non-acting and using the passive voice of 
the verbs. If any sentence thus formed is awkward, 
try to improve it by rearranging its parts. 



1. The tremendous wind actually blew the train off 

the track. 

2. The audience obliged Torbet to respond to three 

curtain calls. 

3. Even my brothers shall not make fun of me in 

public. 

4. The pupils in the school like her very much. 

5. Nobody here makes that mistake any more. 

6. Harvey Watson saw the prisoner at the bar running 

down the alley just after the murder. 

7. On a clear day one can see the Missouri bluffs from 

here. 

8. My friends gave me this watch on my last birth- 

day. 

9. One passed the cry of "Fire!" on to another until 

it reached the limits of the village. 



144 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

10. We should never repeat an error. 

11. Pure carelessness caused the Chicago Fire. 

Restate these sentences, changing passive verbs 
to active ones. You will, of course, use the name of 
the person or thing doing the action as the subject. 

1. This same plan has been adopted by all the classes 

which have gone through the school. 

2. Cause and effect should always be considered to- 

gether. 

3. The United States has been settled by immigrants 

from practically all countries of Europe. 

4. More work than ever is done by the teachers. 

5. Is the story liked very well by the class? 

6. He has never been heard of since the day he left 

here. 

7. No other solution of that problem has ever been 

found. 

8. French is taught here but not in the same grade as 

in Pawtucket. 

9. A new kind of entertainment, in which moving pic- 

tures will be accom])anied by phonographic repro- 
ductions of the dialogue, is announced by the 
Beeankay Company. 
10. Goods which are extensively advertised are usually 
sold cheai)est. 

If you have collected information for your report 
on some scientific ])henomenon, your teacher will now 
allow you time in class to ])repnre your talk. Read 
over whatever notes and reference material you have 
i)rought to class with yon. Think as you read. 
Then make a speaker's ontliiu' for yonrself as in the 
lesson on i)age llJS and |)ractise making your (explana- 
tion. 



[ Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 145 

When your report is well prepared read the follow- 
ing extract from Hershel Hall's "Pete of the Steel 
Mills." 1 

"Why is manganese put into steel? " I asked Pete on one 
of my trips past his furnace. 

"It settles it, toughens it up, and makes it so it'll roll," 
he answered. 

A few days later I asked one of the chemists about the 
plant the same question. "It afesorbs the occluded gases 
in the molten steel, hardens it, and imparts the properties 
of ductility and malleability," was his reply. I preferred 
Pete's elucidation. 

The scientist almost seems to speak a different 
language from the one to which we are accustomed, 
but we must become familiar with the ideas which 
scientific terms represent if we are to understand the 
world in which we live. See if you can make clear to 
the class the meaning of any one of the following- 
expressions. Use your dictionary to help you. 

osmosis refraction 

hydraulic pressure vacuum 

centrifugal force percussion 

As all the reports should be presented before the Give your 
class, several periods will be necessary to complete '^^vorts 
this lesson. It will be well to organize into a science 
club for this series of class exercises and to elect a 
president and secretary who will hold office until 
the work is completed. The president may call 
upon the speakers and maintain parliamentary or- 

^ Scrihners Magazine, April, 1919. 



146 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

der during whatever discussion follows each report. 
The secretary may record the speakers' names and 
their respective topics. 

At the close of each class period every member 
of the audience may make, in writing, a summary 
(limited to three or four sentences) of any one of the 
reports presented. The best summary of each re- 
port should be selected by the secretary for incorpo- 
ration in the minutes of the meeting. At the close 
of the entire series of meetings the secretary should 
be required to read the minutes in full. This will 
summarize the whole project for the class. 
Judge the It might be well to let your teacher judge the ex- 
reports cellencc of the oral reports from an English stand- 
point, as every member of the class will be gathering 
information for a summary. At the end of each 
period your teacher will discuss the merits of the oral 
work presented and also suggest points for improve- 
ment. 
Rntd at Have you ever had occasion to consult Bodmer's 

Book of Wonders? Borrow it from your library some 
week-end and see how many puzzling questions are 
answered through its pages. 

59 

Science in Industry 

Di.snisftin Here is another set of topics very similar to the 
last ones upon which you reported. They differ 
from the latter in that they are applications of scien- 
tific principles to the satisfaction of man's wants. 

'J'Ih' ofluTs, \'()u will see as vou look back at them. 



clu.s. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 147 

were scientific explanations of phenomena over which 
man has no control. Proceed with these as you did 
with the others, adding to the topics proposed until 
you have a list sufficient to furnish each member of 
the class with an assignment. 

Some suggestions for the list follow: 

1. Why we mix ice with salt when freezing cream 

2. How a centrifugal wringer works 

3. How a rotary cream separator works 

4. The principle of the vacuum cleaner, of the electric 

bell, of the electric motor, of the telephone, of the 
talking machine, or of springless scales 

5. The use of pulleys in hoisting heavy weights 

6. How a steam or gasoline engine works 

7. Low, middle, and high gears of an automobile 

8. The principle of electric lights — incandescent, arc, 

and vapor. (The greenish lights used by photog- 
raphers for evening sittings are of this last kind.) 

As soon as your list is complete, choose a topic Gather 
and begin to collect facts and information about 
it. Your teacher will allow several days to elapse 
before anything is done in school about these reports 
in order that you may visit the library, talk with 
people, or do anything necessary to obtain informa- 
tion. 

When you have your information in hand, outline Studij 
the points in the explanation you are to make. Can 
you make any appearance or principle clearer by 
comparing it to something your audience knows welLf^ 
Think the explanation through; then talk it through 
to yourself or to anyone who will listen. 

WTien your report is well prepared, use whatever 



148 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

time is left to read the following paragraph from an 
article called "The Panama Canal of To-day," by 
Joseph Bucklin Bishop in Scrihnefs Magazine, 
July, 1921. After you have read the paragraph, give 
it a suitable title expressing its chief point. 

All the appliances for passing ships through the locks 
and the canal have worked without flaw. They have 
stood the test of seven years' use without developing a 
single defect and without accident. The delicate mechan- 
ism of the locks by which the passage of a vessel is reduced 
to a mere electric-switch proposition works as perfectly 
today as it did when first put in use. It is one of the 
mechanical wonders of the age as well as of the canal. 
Nothing more strikingly illustrates the great part that elec- 
tricity is playing in the world today than these magic 
switchboards. High above the centre walls of the locks 
at Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores stands a concrete 
building of fine architectural design, so placed that 
from the upper part of it an unobstructed view is 
obtained of every part of the locks. In this upper 
room there is a long table on which there is a com- 
plete model of the flight of duplicate locks, with 
switches and indicators in the same relative positions as 
the machines which they control in the lock walls. All 
operations of the locks, except the movements of the lower- 
incr locomotives, are controlled by one man standing by 
this table. He turns a small switch on the table when 
the vessel is ready to pass the guard-cham that is stretched 
across the lock entrance. Immediately a immature cham 
on the table falls, and from the window the chain in the 
loek can be seen lo fall. When the ves.sel has entered the 
lock-chamber, the ()i)eral()r turns another switch, and mini- 
ature gates on the table begin to move toward each other. 
From the window the huge gates of the lock can be seen to 
be moving slowly from their recesses in the walls. An- 
other switch is turned, and the water is seen rising in an in- 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 149 

dicator on the table and in the lock under the vessel. 
Every other operation in the passage of the vessel is con- 
trolled and directed in the same manner. For seven 
years this system has been in operation, more than 12,000 
vessels have been passed through, and so perfect is the 
mechanism that, as I have said, not a single flaw has been 
revealed in it. It works with the smoothness and accu- 
racy of a watch. ^ 

You may enjoy using the same procedure in giving Give your 
these reports that you used in telling about "Com- ^^^^^* 
mon Scientific Phenomena" (see page 145). 

It might be wise to invite a committee of three Judge the 
from another grade, more advanced if possible, to ^^P^''^* 
pass judgment upon your oral work. A different 
committee might come at each period until all re- 
ports have been given. Your teacher will ask each 
committee to explain by what standard it proposes to 
judge your talks. 

60 

A Mystery Solved 

You do not believe in the ouija board, let us hope, Find your 
though it certainly does very remarkable things. It 
seems to answer questions and to perform various 
other marvels. There must be an explanation. 
What do you think it is.^ And then there is the 
ghost which keeps tapping at the window in the 
attic, the strange light that dances over that low 
meadow, the dream that seems to have been a proph- 
ecy — you remember Napoleon dreamed the whole 
defeat at Waterloo as he slept a few moments in his 

^By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. 



loO ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 

saddle. Perhaps you have seen a great magician 
perform tricks that seem miraculous. Window dis- 
plays, too, frequenth' present mysterious and aston- 
ishing mechanical contrivances which remind one of 
the exhibitions of magicians and Hindu fakirs. All 
of these mysteries have describable natural causes, 
frequently simple. In the class hour help to compile 
a list of marvels to be explained and then choose one 
of them which you think you understand or can find 
out about without unreasonable effort. Announce 
your choice in order to avoid duplicating someone 
else's work. 
^tiidy ^Mien you make your report, will you need to de- 

scribe the phenomenon itself, or can you merely 
name it and pass on to the explanation.^ What is 
the best order in which to present your facts.^ Is 
there any sort of illustration — comparison, specific 
instance, or diagram — which will make your explana- 
tion easier to understand.'^ 

When your work is well prepared, consider the 
meanings of the following adjectives. Perhaps some 
of them will be useful to you in telling your story. 

weird marvelous 

incredible uncanny 

supernatnnil miraculous 

You may make a similar list on the blackboard if 
you have in nu'nd some other suitable adjectives for 
this story, but be sure that you are able to use cor- 
rectly any word which you place on the list. 
Giveyourex- Two uiiuutes will probably be enough for each ex- 
to/w p|.|^j^.j^i(),i Everyone in the class may have a chance 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 151 

to present what he has prepared, even if two class 
periods are necessary for the work. 

It might be well this time to choose four of the Judge the 
brightest pupils in the room to judge each oral pres- £5"^" 
entation. Their opinion of each explanation will 
depend first upon how clear it is, and second upon 
how easy it is to follow. They will probably point 
out any especially effective comparisons or other 
devices which contribute to the success of any 
speaker, and also any omission or poor arrangement 
of statements which interferes with the success of 
another. They may call attention to any especially 
polished ''good manners" in language and to any 
such breaches of speech etiquette as mistakes in 
grammar, sentence structure, or choice of words. 

If you like these mysteries and their explanations, ^e«^ 
you will enjoy reading how Matthew Maule hypno- 
tized Alice Pyncheon and attempted to learn the 
hiding-place of a lost deed. Hawthorne tells the 
story in The House of the Seven Gables. 

61 

A Faulty Narrative 

What criticism would you have offered upon this study 
story if it had been that of one of your classmates 
yesterday .f^ 

A Very Natural Ghost 

One day Ben Higgins reported that about eleven o'clock 
the night before he had seen a ghost down in the yard of 
the deserted sugar refinery. About twenty -five feet back 



152 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

of the main building there are two smaller frame structures 
with a passageway between them. It was in the space 
between the main building and these outbuildings that 
Ben reported he had seen the ghost. Almost every night 
after that groups of from three to six went with Ben to 
hide in one of the outbuildings which he had found a way 
to enter. 

When this had been going on for about four weeks, 
Ben and his chum, Henry Gunn, were observed to ex- 
change knowing glances and to suppress a tendency to 
laugh whenever the ghost was mentioned. Then some- 
one said, "Henry has never gone to see the ghost, and they 
usually go everywhere together." As soon as suspicion 
fell upon Henry the mystery was quickly cleared. 

This is what the inquisitive found: Henry and Ben 
had carried Ben's old magic lantern, a toy which had been 
given him on his seventh birthday, down to the old re- 
finery and placed it in one of the outbuildings. When 
it was new Ben enjoyed it immensely for a few days, iir- 
til he grew tired of the set of slides which had come with 
the machine. Then he gave stereopticon entertainments 
with a penny admission, hoping to get money to buy new 
slides; but at the end of the month he had grown tired of 
the whole thing, and in another month it had found a place 
in the attic of his home. Here it rested until the idea of 
a ghost arose in his mind. He and Henry had made a 
silhouette of a ghost on a piece of glass which they used as 
a slide. Of course, in order to make tlie gliost wliite tliey 
covered the rest of the silhouette with lamj) l)la('k and had 
left clear the figure of the ghost. Then they had focused 
their picture upon the blank wall at tl>e end of the refinery. 
Whenever they thought they had a satisfactory audience, 
they turncMJ on their light, and pointed the machine out 
to the left of the building. As they turned the machine 
slowly to the right, the ghost walked norlh across the yard. 
When they reversed the slide and turned the lantern back 
to the left, the ghost returned to its home somewhere in the 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 153 

prairies south of the building. Really it was Henry who 
managed the machine. He sometimes had a hard time 
not to laugh aloud at the people who were so startled by 
the ghost. Ben says he sometimes fell to giggling at the 
frightened looks of the audiences he had invited, but he 
managed to make them believe he was sobbing from fear. 



For those who know anything about the work of a 
stereopticon this explanation of Ben's ghost is surely 
clear, yet it is not so satisfactory as it might be made. 
If you have a particularly orderly mind, you were 
doubtless irritated at the insertion of certain unneces- 
sary facts in the midst of the explanation. As the 
narrative progressed, many details of the story came 
to the speaker's mind, and once or twice he so far 
forgot that he was explaining how the ghost was pro- 
duced as to include statements which would have 
been helpful in describing the sensation which the 
ghost produced, but which are merely distracting 
when they are made a part of the explanation, and 
others which have really nothing at all to do with 
this story. 

Point out these unnecessary, really worse than Discuss in 
useless, details. Statements like these, which are ^ 
not useful in accomplishing the purpose of the mo- 
ment, we describe as irrelevant. 

Perhaps some member of your class will volunteer Test 
to give an impromptu explanation of some strange ^^"^*^^^^* 
happening, purposely introducing irrelevant material. 
When you hear him present distracting and un- 
necessary ideas, you may stand. The speaker 
will enjoy trying to catch you unawares. When he 



154 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

finishes, he may call upon someone to repeat his ex- 
planation with only the relevant details included. 

62 

Some Common Figures of Speech 

Not a few of our familiar proverbs and allusions 
are but half understood by many people. As you 
look over the proverbs and allusions printed below 
you will probably find some concerning the meaning 
of which you yourself are uncertain. Very likely 
some other members of your class could tell you about 
these, and probably you know or could find out 
about some which they do not understand. An inter- 
change of explanations would evidently be profitable. 
Choose, or let 3^our teacher assign you, some one of 
these expressions to explain to your classmates. 

Perhaps there are other expressions which you have 
heard but do not understand and would like to have 
explained. If so, add them to the list printed here 
and perhaps someone will enlighten you. 

Proverbs 

Ho has paid too dear for liis whistle. 
Give him an inch and he'll take an ell. 
Still water runs deep. 

Constant dropping wears away the hardest stone. 
lie that suj)s with the (le\il shonld nse a long spoon. 
Yon can't touch pitch and not be defiled. 
Birds of a feather flock together. 
By their fruits ye shall know them. 
Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, 
and writing an exact man. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 155 

"Can't" is a word to be found only in the dictionary of 

fools. 
You can't make a silken purse out of a sow's ear. 
Blood is thicker than water. 

Allusions 

Old as Methuselah 

Dare to be a Daniel! 

A genuine Beau Brummel 

Cruel as Nero 

Weeping for more worlds to conquer 

The Ten Commandments 

Mad as a March hare 

To have cut one's eye teeth 

Rich as Croesus 

A two-forty gait 

A Roland for an Oliver 

The siren voices of pleasure 

Sour grapes! 

Being made a catspaw 

A flash in the pan 

Steering between Scylla and Charybdis 

The bow of promise 

It will be very easy in giving the information Study 
called for by this assignment to include irrelevant 
ideas. Glance again at "A Very Natural Ghost" 
and then consider the relevance of each point you 
have in mind. A good example or an apt compari- 
son may help you to make your ideas clear. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
anecdotes and see if you can tell the appropriate 
proverb in each case. If time permits, you may write 
a similar anecdote on the blackboard, leaving the 
proverb for your classmates to guess. 



156 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 



There was once a boy who Hked variety. He left school 
as soon as the law permitted and went to work. ^Alien- 
ever he tired of one job, he gave it up and accepted another, 
so that in six years he had held nineteen different positions. 
At twenty-one he had saved no money and had learned no 
trade. His grandmother shook her head over him and 
said, " . . . " 

May would graduate from high school on the twentieth 
of June. Her father was out of the city on business. 
She was anxious to have him present at commencement, 
and at first was delighted when he wrote her that he would 
arrive at home a few hours before the exercises began. 
Then the news seemed too good to be true. As the time 
approached, May began to worry. Perhaps he had for- 
gotten the exact date. Perhaps the train would be late. 
Perhaps there would be a wreck. These fears made her 
very unhappy, but nothing unusual happened, and her 
father arrived on time. ^Yhen she told him how troubled 
she had been he said, " " 



In giving the explanations which you have pre- 
pared, try this. Let the girls choose from the list 
one saying whicli they would like explained. The 
pupil who selected it may give his explanation. 
Then the boys may request the explanation of an- 
other saying, and so on until the list or the time is 
exhausted. 
Judyc The girls may judge the worth of the explanations 

planations whicli tlu^v have Called for, and the boys may judge 
th()S(^ given in respouse to their recjuests. Two 
points, clearness and relevance, will prol)ably offer 
a sufficient basis for judgment of these short explana- 
tions. The vocabulary clerk should do his part by 
listing unusual words and expressions. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 157 

63 

A Clever Idea 

Did you ever see any "'Nonik" Glassware, intended 
for use in restaurants and other places where many ^^^i^^^ 
dishes are jumbled together in washing? The sides, 
instead of coming up straight, or flaring out, are 
turned in at the top, somewhat like the top of a barrel 
but more sharply. You can see that this will pre- 
vent nicking if one glass strikes against another. 
Very simple, isn't it.^^ But very effective! It is 
what we call a clever idea. Many of the camou- 
flages which were used during the great World War 
were equally simple and clever. Such strategy as 
Washington's leaving the camp fires burning while 
the army retreated, and many of the advertisements 
which you see every day, would likewise be called 
clever ideas. Choose an idea which you think is 
among the cleverest you have seen or heard of re- 
cently and prepare to present it to your classmates 
so that they will appreciate it. 

To accomplish this purpose, your description or 
explanation should be complete, but it should be as ^^^^^ 
concise as possible in order to give the effect of sur- 
prise. Time yourself as you tell it silently. Be sure 
that you tell the essential facts and no others. Plan 
an effective ending sentence. 

If you have some time left after the preparation of 
your talk, read the following advertisement.^ What 
clever idea does it describe .^^ 

^Used by permission of the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, 
Rochester, N. Y. 



158 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 2 ] 



Opening the Shortest Pathway to the Brain 



IT b the prolonged dusk of Arctic night one 
hundred miles above the Circle — the ther- 
mometer far below zero and snow piled moun- 
tains high. A crowd of unlearned but eager 
Lapps, too numerous for the small rpission 
chapel nearby, are assembled in the open air on 
skis and snowshoes — their eyes centered on 
a crudely erected screen of-snow. 

Across this screen, as white as Nature can 
make it, flashes a succession of vivid pictures 
— Japan, China, Korea, tropical India, all im- 
aged on that Arctic background — pictures of 
climes and peoples that benighted audience had 
never dreamed of. And the source ? A simple 
but efficient little stereopticon, the Balopticon, 
mounted on a rough table in the snow and 
covered with a heavy, protecting blanket, that its 
lenses may not break in the frigid atmosphere. 

This true incident is perhaps unusual, but 
no more significant than countless other instan- 
ces of Balopticon service. Optical projection 
has broken down the travel barriers to a know- 



ledge of the earth. Photography and projec- 
tion co-operating bring the world to our feet, 
for whatever can be photographed anywhere 
can be projected in life-like reproductions any- 
where else. 

And so in church and mission, school and 
ooOege, lecture hall and home, wherever peo- 
ple bf any race or creed gather together, the 
Balopticon has made its enlightening way, 
adding to the sum tota| of human knowledge 
as no other agency can. For the eye is the 
gateway of the shortest nerve path to the 
brain. What the eye sees, the brain compre- 
hends quickest and remembers longest. 

In its development of the Balopticon to 
represent the most complete and efficient 
line of projection apparatus obtainable, the 
Bausch tc Lomb Optical Company has but 
further enriched its seventy years of service— 
of supplying practically eve^y fo,rm of lens or 
optical instrument that humanity needs in its 
search for truth and knowledge. 



Give your 
explana- 
tions 



Judge the 
cxplona- 



Since there probably will not be time to give every- 
one an opportunity to speak, this method of selecting 
speakers may be followed. Write your name and 
the title of your talk on a slip of paper and pass it 
to the class secretary. The secretary will read these 
titles slowly, and whenever a title seems to indicate a 
particularly clever and interesting idea you may 
stand to signify that you would like to hear the ex- 
planation. If five or more people desire to hear an 
exj)lanation, the secretary will call upon the pupil 
whose idea it is to tell about it to the class. 

Let the class choose judges and decide what points 
shall be considered in giving judgment on the ex- 
planations. Four very good (luestions for consider- 
ation would be: 



[ Booh 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 159 

1. Did the speaker make the idea clear to the 

audience? 

2. Did he make the idea seem clever? 

3. Did he avoid irrelevant material? 

4. Was the use of a good ending an important fac- 

tor in his success? 

The great detective Sherlock Holmes, by means Read at 
of a clever device, once made his enemies think that ^'^^ 
he was in his own room when he wasn't. You will 
enjoy reading The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by 
A. Conan Doyle. 

64 

Meeting Emergencies 

The Red Cross and our school classes in physiology Read 
and hygiene have very properly made much of first- ** ^^ ^ 
aid work. The instruction has consisted primarily 
of information as to what to do in certain emergencies, 
supplemented wherever possible by practice in the 
treatment suggested. But emergencies which are 
really important are not confined to the physical 
accidents considered by the Red Cross and the physi- 
ology teacher. They are quite frequently social. 
Many emergencies call for prevention rather than 
cure — the threatened catastrophes may be avoided by 
prompt and wise action. The boy who is accused 
by his teacher of an offense really committed by 
someone else, perhaps by someone whom he does not 
consider a friend, meets a genuine social emergency. 
Shall he tell, shall he bear the unmerited disgrace 
and punishment, or shall he catch the other boy out- 
side and beat him into willingness to confess? The 



160 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Bool- 2 ] 

girl who has gone to the park in her best clothes and 
is .caught in a sudden summer downpour also faces 
a very real emergency. Shall she run, shall she find 
shelter, or hail a passing automobile? Her problem is 
to avoid the ruin of her clothes and a probable cold. 
Find your It would be worth while for you to conduct a class 
'pro em j^ emergencies, excluding first-aid cases if you have 
already had those in school or in Red Cross classes. 
"What should one do if . . ." or if you prefer, 
"What would I do if . . ." would be a good way to 
state the topic to yourself. For the sake of variety-, 
a very few of the reports may resemble the cross-ques- 
tions and silly answers which you have doubtless en- 
countered at parties — that is, some of the situations 
may be ridiculous. Of course, if you choose one of 
these you will keep within the bounds of good taste. 
A story of what someone did under similar cir- 
cumstances might be in phice as proof of the effec- 
tiveness of your solution, but you will need to be 
careful lest you really wander from your purj)ose. 
Study In preparing to make this explanation, first state 

your question to yourself very clearly, as: "What 
would I do if I wereinarowboatandbrokean oar while 
trying to get out of the river current.^" or "What 
would I do if I slipped in a mud puddle and ruined 
my white shoes and stockings on the \cv\ morning 
when I was to recite a ])()em in the school assembly.'^" 
Then try to picture yourself in the given situation 
and think out your conduct under the circumstances 
step by step. WIkmi you see the series of events 
with your "mind's eve," practise ex|)laining to your- 
self. Make your ending effective. 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 161 

When your talk is well prepared, read the follow- 
ing newspaper account of how a clever actor made 
the best of a difficult situation. Be able to explain 
the point of the incident to the class. 



JOKE ON AUDIENCE 

Actor Made Point of What 
Seemed to Be Embarrass- 
ing Situation 

A famous actor, taking the part of 
Othello, thought to save coloring his 
hands by wearing black gloves. At 
the end of the first act, on going to his 
dressing room, he took off his gloves 
and threw them on the table. 

Unfortunately, he forgot to put 
them on for the second act, and the 
laughter of the public on seeing the 
Moor with pinky-red hands nearly 
sent him wild. On going off the 
stage for a moment, he caught hold 
of a person hanging about behind the 
scenes, and said: 

"I will give you $5.00 if you will 
run out and buy me a pair of flesh- 
colored silk gloves before the next 
act." 

On his appearing before the public 
again in the third act, in flesh-colored 
gloves, the laughter knew no bounds; 
quietly he drew off his gloves, showing 
hands as black as his face. This 
clever trick met with the appreciation 
it deserved. 



162 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

If there is any time left, study the following 
stanza by Lowell. Read it understandingly. Then 
see how rapidly you can memorize it. 

In life's small things be resolute and great 

To keep thy muscle trained: know'st thou when Fate 

Thy measure takes, or when she'll say to thee, 

"I find thee worthy; do this deed for me".'^ 

Your teacher may appoint a permanent com- 
mittee of four critics to judge these explanations. 
Two of the critics should look for points to commend, 
as: 

"You used the word chagrin, which expressed just 
the meaning you wished." 

"Your good sentence structure helped make the 
talk clear and pleasing." 

"Your last sentence was effective." 

The other two critics may suggest points for im- 
provement, as: 

"You introduced irrelevant detail when you said, 
T knew that the school orchestra would play first. 
All the children like to hear our orchestra because we 
have so many instruments.' " 

For the second talk the critics may exchange 
duties, trade back again for the third, and so on. 

The critics shoukl, of course, take notes during the 
speeches. It is unwise to trust solely to your mem- 
ory when you are responsible for giving detailed 
criticisms. 

Have you read "Horatius at the Bridge" from 
Macaulay's Latjs of Ancient RomeY Rome faced a 
threatening emergency when Lars Porsena marched 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 163 

his host to the bridge-head, and Horatius faced 
death itself when the bridge crashed down into the 
Tiber and left him on the wrong side of the river. 

The boy or girl in your class who has the best 
memory will enjoy learning this poem by heart. It 
is long, but so spirited that one can hardly keep from 
memorizing it as one reads. 

Horatius met one of the emergencies of war. Ser 
Federigo in Longfellow's "The Falcon of Ser Fed- 
erigo " faced a social emergency. Have you read this 
story poem.f^ 

65 

Inventing a Party 

Making something — especially something of a new Find your 
kind, an invention of one's own — is the most satis- '^^^ 
fying activity in which a boy or girl, man or woman 
can engage. Parties, too, are great fun. Add to 
these two good things a third — a contest. The re- 
sult may be stated like this: a contest in providing 
plans for a party for boys and girls of your own age. 
(Possibly, if you have been industrious and well be- 
haved, your teacher will let you use the best plan for 
a class party some afternoon.) You may be sure 
that the best plan will have something new in it, but 
that it will not be so new as to omit the kinds of 
activity which have always proved satisfactory at 
such parties. 

Since explanations of this sort are particularly ^ -. 
likely to be indefinite, and to contain repetitions 
and confused sentences, it will be best for you to 



164 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

write yours. Moreover, it will be easier to judge 
the merits of the plans if they are set down on 
paper. (The decision may be made by a vote of the 
class or by a set of "outside" judges.) 

When your plan is written out, examine it care- 
fully to see (1) whether any game or decoration 
could be better explained by comparison, and (2) 
whether anything you have put down could safely 
be omitted. AMien you are satisfied with your 
written plan, make a neat ink copy of it. 

If 3^ou finish before the others, read the following 
sentences. Then go to the blackboard and add two 
or three more in the same spirit. 

The Welcome Guest 

The welcome guest has a smile and a cheerful word 
for every member of the circle, because every one is im- 
portant in his eyes. 

The welcome guest does not expect to have his own 
way, but instead enters heartily into all the plans of his 
hosts. 

Tlie welcome guest does not tell stories magnifying him- 
self hut lielps to entertain tlie otliers with clever anecdotes, 
or listens to and enjoys the stories told by someone else. 

fudgr the A committcc of two boys and two girls might read 
'''""' the papers handed in by the class and select the 

best three party ])lans. These should be read aloud 
to the class and submitted to a vote. 

The papers should also be judged from the English 
standpoint for clearness of presentation, excellence 
of form and expression, and neatness. Your teacher 
will read the ])aj)ers for this purpose, marking all ex- 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 165 

celient papers " 1, " satisfactory papers "2, " and poor 
papers "3." If your paper should be marked "3," 
try to discover its weaknesses. Then, in conference 
with your teacher or in writing, explain to him how 
it might be improved. 

Was any paper which was afterward marked "3," 
by the teacher considered by the pupil committee 
to present an especially good plan.? 



CH.\PTER VI 

66 

An Opinion Meeting 

You have many arguments, and enjoy them, too. 
Probably no day goes by that you do not engage in 
a rather long and heated discussion. Sometimes 
these are about what you shall do; sometimes they 
concern what you have done; and sometimes they 
are mere matters of opinion, such as whether or not 
Mary's dress is pretty, or whether one baseball 
pitcher is better than another. In some schools 
this natural tendency to argue has been organized 
into a formal game, ^^^th three j)layers on each side. 
These players make formal speeches concerning a 
proposition very definitely stated, and a decision 
is rendered by a set of supposedly unprejudiced 
judges. 

This formal sort of debating is somewhat like that 
which we find in a political campaign or in the de- 
bate upon any motion being voted upon by an 
assembly, but it is rather unlike ordinary arguments 
in which we engage. Start the discussion of Mary's 
dress or of the merits of the baseball pitcher, and you 
will find, if there are more than three people, that 
there are more than three different opinions on this 

100 [Book!] 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 167 

subject. Most questions have, not two sides, but at 
least ten or twenty. Because of this fact some 
people prefer to organize discussion groups or con- 
tests rather than formal debates. The order of 
speakers is determined by lot, and each speaker 
expresses his own shade of opinion. He does not 
deliver a formal speech which he has written out and 
memorized beforehand; he takes up the discussion 
where he finds it, building upon what the previous 
speakers have said. He explains how far he agrees 
with, or how far he differs from, them, and then he 
defends his own position. The only decision pos- 
sible in a contest ot this kind — if a decision is an 
unavoidable evil — is that some one person has made 
the best speech. 

Before such an opinion meeting as the one de- Discuss in 
scribed in the last paragraph is held a suitable topic 
must be selected — a topic worth discussing and yet 
not too deep or difficult. You may wish to con- 
sider a matter of civic interest such as daylight 
saving, community Fourth of July celebrations, 
postal savings as a means of encouraging thrift, or 
"city beautiful" plans. You may decide to dis- 
cuss a topic of school interest, such as the value 
of learning a trade in school, or the lengthening of 
the school day with no home study. It would be 
well to make out a long list of possible problems for 
discussion and then select the most suitable one by 
class vote. 

While the class is deciding upon a topic for dis- 
cussion, a committee of two, appointed for the 
purpose, might be preparing to explain to the class 



class 



168 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 \ 

the simple rules of parliamentary procedure in 
order that subsequent opinion meetings may be 
conducted in parliamentary style. In looking up 
this subject the committee will find the following 
books helpful. 

Paul — Parliamentary Law (Century Co.) 

Robert — Rules of Order (Scott, Foresman and Co.) 

Find your After the topic for class discussion has been chosen, 

problem i • i • • • i i» 

you will want to thmk out your position with ref- 
erence to it. Do you take an extreme view, or do 
you prefer a middle course.^ ^Yhat can you say in 
a short speech to justify the stand you take? 
Study If your topic is one of broad civic interest, you may 

have to consult reference books and interview people. 
If the topic is one of a more personal nature, a few 
minutes of concentrated thought will serve to mar- 
shal your ideas upon the subject. Your teacher 
will determine the time necessary for preparation. 
Remember that mere prejudices are not sound ar- 
guments. Give reasons, cite instances, refer to 
authorities if possible. Jot down on a speaker's 
card the few points you wish to make and i)ractise 
your sj)eech to yourself. Try to end effectively and 
forcefully. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
opinion on the importance of good roads built at 
government expense. The article is from the edi- 
torial page of Collier's Weekly for August 20, 1921. 
See how many arguments in favor of good roads 
are advanced. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 169 



Small Towns and Big Roads 

A revolution impends in our bewhiskered methods of 
building and keeping up roads. Congress appears ready 
at last to recognize the smaller arteries of traffic as valuable 
parts of the nation and to place them in the hands of a 
highly trained commission of experts, whose sole business 
it will be to see that we get our money's worth of roads 
from the annual hundred million dollars of Federal appro- 
priation and the even greater amounts raised by towns, 
cities, counties, and states. 

The heavy taxes we pay are going first into the building 
of smooth, durable trunk-line highways, with local f^xm- 
to-farm roads to come later. 

To the man with an automobile, who lives and works 
in or near a country town, this means more than if his 
community were suddenly placed on a branch of some 
transcontinental railroad. It means that he and his car 
will stand at the threshold of the whole continent. And it 
will bring no increase in his taxes. 

It means cheaper prices for the commodities he buys, 
because it will enable the farmer and the local storekeeper, 
who normally order goods in less than carload lots, to se- 
cure what they want by truck with less overhead expense, 
delay, and deterioration than if they depended upon the 
railroads. Railroads do not want this class of business, 
anyway, and cannot handle short-run, split-lot shipments 
except at disproportionately high rates. 

It means better employment, because the farmer and 
the village manufacturer will make more rapid turnover 
of many small quantities of products instead of waiting 
to fill freight cars to capacity in order to secure more fa- 
vorable terms of shipment. 

It means fewer handlings between points, because it 
will bring small door-to-door deliveries without the neces- 
sity of frequent trans-shipment. 

The new Federal plan has had the vigorous backing 



170 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 



Discuss in 
class 



for five years of the National Automobile Chamber of 
Commerce, the Highways Transport Committee, the Na- 
tional Grange, all the important transcontinental high- 
ways associations, and all country people on both sides of 
Main Street. It spells pleasure, profit, and progress for 
many; but most of all for the man with an automobile in 
a country town.^ 

A chairman should be chosen to preside over this 
meeting. Speakers may volunteer their opinions 
freely from the floor, but recognition from the chair 
should be secured before a speech is begun. At the 
close of the meeting, the chairman may sum up 
the arguments briefly and call for a resolution stating 
the opinion of the group upon the topic under dis- 
cussion. 

It w^ould be well to reserve about ten minutes of 
the class period after the adjournment of the meeting 
for a critical discussion of the way in which the 
opinions were presented. Who oflPered the strongest 
argument.^ Did any one spoil a good idea by blun- 
ders in presentation.^ Whose diction was the most 
effective? What expressions seemed most forceful? 
Who brought his speech to a close in the most telling 
way? 

67 

What Counts Most? 

At the close of your opinion meeting you con- 
sidered which speeches were most effective. Can 
you tell what made them so? Did fluency in the 
use of words, enthusiasm, clearness of statement. 



By permission of Collier s Weekly. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 171 

importance of the arguments presented, or thor- 
oughness of the proof of the points made, influence 
the vote most? Do you think this would have been 
equally true if the speaker had argued with each 
member of the class privately? Which of the means 
of persuasion that are named in this paragraph 
would be more effective upon an audience than upon 
a single individual? Which ones would remain 
effective even in writing — in a business letter, for 
instance? Which ones would be more effective with 
adults than with children? Which ones would be 
more effective with persons of high intelligence and 
strong character than with the ignorant and weak- 
willed? By which ones ought we to let ourselves 
be most influenced? 

Talk these questions over briefly in class before 
reading further. 

Suppose your class had been discussing whether or 
not there should be formal debating in an eighth 
grade and these three arguments had been pre- 
sented in the discussion. Which of them is the most 
effective? Try to determine why this is so. 



We should have general discussions on certain topics 
rather than formal debates, because very frequently we do 
not care to take either side of the debate. When a ques- 
tion is raised, we are not wholly in favor of either side, but 
between them. In some things we agree with one side, 
and in some things with the other. This would make it 
very difficult to take either side of the debate and argue 
with enthusiasm. If you will think over the various sub- 
jects which have been suggested for debates, you will see 



Study 



172 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

that on many of them you could not take either side with- 
out wishing to say something for the other side also. We 
can avoid this awkward situation if we merely suggest 
topics for discussion and let each one state his opinions. 



II 

Discussions are much better than debates because there 
are more than two sides to almost every question. I have 
been keeping track of the disputes and arguments which 
I have heard since I first saw this assignment in our book. 
I have noticed twenty-six disputes and arguments and in 
only two of them were there just two sides to the question. 
Those two were hardly subjects for debates; they were 
mere disputes — one as to which of two girls is the older, 
and another as to whether my brother attended a certain 
party two years ago. The other twenty-four arguments 
were chiefly about what to do, politics, opinions of books, 
and similar matters. ^Yhenever a question was raised 
as to what the crowd was to do there were always three sides 
and sometimes four or five, each of which had more or 
less enthusiastic defenders. 

For instance, yesterday afternoon, five boys were at 
my house. We had been singing but had grown tired 
of that; so I said, ** Let's go downstairs and put on our 
roller skates and have a race." My cousin said, "Oh, 
no, let's not do that. I^t's go over to the movies; there 
is one show before supper." But my chum preferred to 
play "Pit." 

Last night after supper my brother said that he thought 
Stevenson was the grcjitest story writer he had ever heard 
of. Now I happen to like Harbour's stories of school life 
better than Stevenson's rather rough and bloody stories, 
and I said so. Then father said we were both wrong; 
that perliaj)s I was a little young for them, but that my 
brother would enjoy Scott's stories if he would try them. 
I won't l)ure you with all the things father said about 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 173 

Scott, but you see there are more than two sides to most 
questions — usually three, and frequently more. 

That is the way it works every time so far as I can see, 
and I have been watching very carefully. It would be 
better, then, for us to have discussions and each of us 
take the side of the question in which he really believes. 
We shall all have more to say and we shall learn better how 
to take our parts in the discussions that occur outside the 
classroom. 

Ill 

Don't you like to know when you've won a game? It 
isn't very interesting to be told that everyone has won. 
That's what these people want who are arguing for dis- 
cussions instead of debates. In a debate there are just 
two sides and one or the other must win. You know just 
whom you are playing against and just who is trying to 
help you, and when you get through you know whether 
you have won or lost. Let's have definite questions with 
just two sides and have the teacher or some other judges 
decide who has won. 

At first glance you will be inclined to say that the 
second example is the best. It is the longest, you 
see. Besides that, it is especially good in one way: 
it presents facts as a basis of the argument. If 
you look for facts in the first example given, you 
will fail to find any. There is not even a made-up 
illustration. Undoubtedly, the second is better. 
But now look at the third. It is the shortest of the 
three. It presents very few facts — one, perhaps — 
but it would be quite as likely as the second to 
influence votes in the class. It is stated more en- 
ergetically. It argues not from someone else's ex- 



174 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

perience, but from that of the person addressed. It 
ends with an enthusiastic suggestion. 
Work Is it possible to combine the good quahties of the 

^^^ second and third examples? Suppose, in order to 

demonstrate to yourself that you understand wherein 
each of them is good, that you try to rewrite the 
second, putting into it the energy, enthusiasm, and 
personal appeal which characterize the third. Try 
rewriting the argument quickly (pencil paper) and 
from the individual efforts a cooperative argument 
may be worked out on the blackboard. If you can 
learn to put these good qualities into any argument 
you wish to make, you are sure to influence very 
strongly those to whom you speak, not only in the 
subsequent debates and discussions in this class, 
but among your friends outside of school now, and 
in business affairs later. 

68 

How Shall We Celebrate ? 

Find ynur MemoHal Day or some other holiday is prob- 
prnhicm .^^\y\y ^^^ £^P away. Are you going to celebrate it 
in any fashion? Possibly there is to be a com- 
munity celebration of some sort and there may be 
some plan for participation by the school children. 
Just what part is your grade to play? Upon this 
subject different members of the class will have 
opinions even more various than their names, 
ranging all the way from the desire to ignore the 
matter altogether to very definite plans for formal 
patriotic exercises. Your teacher is willing to 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 175 

accept advice, perhaps to let the class decide the 
matter for itself. 

Of course, you want the problem settled your way, ^tudy 
and will prepare to persuade the others that your 
way is best. Do not depend upon mere enthusiasm 
or upon their wish to please you. Do not even say, 
"My way is better for this reason," without going 
on to show that your statement is true. It pays to 
be enthusiastic and persuasive rather than com- 
bative in your presentation of the argument, but 
your argument must be proved, too, if it is to have 
most weight. What kind of proof can you give.^^ 
Can you appeal to their own experience of certain 
kinds .f^ Can you tell of some successful celebration 
like this one you advocate .^^ Will they have to be 
content with your general assertion that this cele- 
bration was successful, or can you give definite 
proof .^ You had better prepare as if you were to 
be called upon to open the discussion. This will 
leave you in the best position to take advantage of 
what speakers preceding you have said. 

If you finish before the others, choose one of the 
following poems and prepare to read it to the class. 
The effective oral reading of any selection requires 
thorough understanding of its meaning and famili- 
arity with the words. 

The Arsenal at Springfield 

This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling, 
Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms; 
But from their silent pipes no anthem pealing 
Startles the villages with strange alarms. 



176 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

Ah! what a sound will rise, how wild and dreary 
When the death-angel touches those swift keys! 
What loud lament and dismal Miserere 
Will mingle with their awful symphonies! 



I hear even now the infinite fierce chorus, 

The cries of agony, the endless groan, 

Which, through the ages which have gone before us, 

In long reverberations reach our own. 

Is it, man, with such discordant noises, 
With such accursed instruments as these, 
Thou drownest Nature's sweet and kindly voices, 
And jarrest the celestial harmonies? 

Were half the power that fills the world with terror. 
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts, 
Given to redeem the human mind from error, 
There were no need of arsenals and forts. 



DowTi the dark future, through long generations 
The echoing sounds grow fainter and then cease; 
And like a bell, with solemn, sweet vibrations 
I hear once more the voice of Christ say, "Peace!" 

Peace! and no longer from its brazen portals 

The blast of War's great organ shakes the skies! 

But beautiful as songs of the immortals 

The holy melodies of peace arise. ^ 

— Longfellow. 

We sit here in the Promised Land 
That flows with Freedom's honey and milk; 
But 'twas they won it, sword in hand. 
Making the nettle danger soft for us as silk. 



•By permission of and special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin 
Company, the authorized pul)lishers. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 177 

Blow, trumpets, all your exultations blow ! 

For never shall their aureoled presence lack: 

I see them muster in a gleaming row. 

With ever youthful brows that nobler show; 

We find in our dull road their shining track; 

In every nobler mood 

We feel the orient of their spirit glow, 

Part of our life's unalterable good. 

Of all our saintlier aspiration; 

They come transfigured back, 

Secure from change in their high-hearted ways. 

Beautiful evermore, and with the rays 

Of morn on their white Shields of Expectation.^ 

— ^Lowell: "Commemoration Ode." 

Call a meeting for the general discussion of Me- Fresent 
morial Day plans. Conduct the meeting in parlia- l^^io^g 
mentary form, and end with the formal adoption of 
one of the plans presented. 

The best decision upon the excellence of the Judge the 
opinions presented is, of course, the vote of the class ^^*^*^^* 
to adopt the plan advocated, but a committee of 
three might be asked to discuss the relative merits of 
the various speeches from the standpoint of force- 
fulness, pointedness of argument, and effective 
diction. 

A Red-Letter Day Program 

Having decided upon the character of your Work 
celebration of Memorial Day, it would be well to together 
spend a period planning the program in detail and 
apportioning parts — readings, recitations, music, 

^By permission of and special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin 
Company, the authorized pubUshers. 



178 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [BookS] 

compositions, etc. Decide just where and when the 
program shall be given and what visitors shall be 
invited. 

69 

Comparison 

Study You may have had the experience of using such 

together ^ sentence as Of the two jplans that icere suggested 
I thought this was the best, and having your teacher 
remark that you should have said better instead 
of best. Even if your attention has not been called 
to it, you have probably used such sentences and 
subjected yourself to the silent criticism of some 
of those who heard you. Do you see just why.^^ 

Suppose th^,t some day when you are discussing 
plans for a party, Mary offers a plan and you say, 
"Yes, that is good'' Shortly afterward Harold 
suggests another one which seems to you to promise 
more fun; then you say, "Mary's plan was good, 
but his is better'' As the discussion goes on, Helen 
offers a third plan which seems to you better than 
Harold's. Then you say, "I think of the three, 
this is the best." That is, when you merely wanted 
to indicate the quality of one plan you used good, 
when you wanted to compare two plans you said 
one was better than the other, and only when you had 
three plans did you use the word best, to rank the 
third one above the other two. We speak of the 
simple adjectives such as good, delightful, beautiful, 
long, as in the positive degree. Words like better^ 
longer, prettier, which are a])pHe(l to one of two ob- 
jects to indicate that it has more of a certain quality, 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 179 

are in the comparative degree. Such forms as 
best, sourest, hottest, which are appHed to one of three 
objects to indicate that this one has more of the 
quahty named than have the other two, are in the 
superlative degree. 

Now to return to your original sentence: Your 
mistake lay in using the superlative degree when 
you had but two things to compare. Better is, of 
course, the better word in this case. 

There is another minor difficulty which comes up 
in connection with adverbs and adjectives in the 
comparative and superlative degrees. In the com- 
parison of good, we have three words, good, better, best. 
In the comparison of hot, we add er to form the com- 
parative, hotter; and est to form the superlative, 
hottest. This latter is the usual method of compar- 
ing words of one or two syllables. In the comparison 
of delightful, we prefix more to form the comparative, 
more delightful; and most to form the superlative, 
most delightful. This is the usual method of com- 
paring longer words. Some two-syllable words are 
compared either by the addition of er and est or the 
prefixing of more and most. 

In the following sentences substitute for the posi- 
tive form which is inclosed in parentheses, the com- 
parative or superlative form required by the sentence. 

1. This is the (sour) apple I have ever tasted. 

2. Morris had one plan and I had another, and each of 

us thought his plan was the (good). 

3. John and I have just had an argument as to which 

of us is (old). 

4. The (large) of the boys seems to me the (quick). 



180 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

5. I have read both the books and I think Kidnapped 

is the (interesting). 

6. The (tall) boy in the crowd is also the (young). 

7. The (rich) of my brothers — I have three, you know 

— made his money in mines. 

8. Which is (safe) — to put money in a savings bank, 

or to invest it in good bonds? 

9. Which is (profitable) — to put money into a savings 

account, to invest it in bonds, or to buy a home? 

10. Of the two locations I would build upon the 

(healthful) without regard to the price or the 
transportation. 

11. Who do ycu think is (strong), Harold or I? 

12. I like both dresses; we will take the one which fits 

(well). 

13. Mary's nose is (straight) than Jane's, and Alice's 

eyes are (bright), but on the whole Jane is the 
(attractfve) of all. 

14. Today is (warm) than any other day this spring; 

a week ago today was the next (warm) one. 

15. The one who does his work (neatly) is likely to be 

the one who does it (accurately). 

16. Isabel and Edith have a race every morning to see 

which can be dressed (soon). 

17. Which of the twins writes (brilliantly) it would be 

difficult to decide. 

18. Hazel is frequently careless and Bertha rarely is, 

but today Hazel is dressed the (carefully). 



70 

Success 

^fienthj What should l)c a person's aim in life? Is the 

answer the same whetluT the person he a man or a 
woman? You have been talkng about vocations 
this year, but probably you have not directly dis- 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 181 

cussed this most fundamental of life issues. One's 
answer to this question largely determines not only 
his choice of vocation but almost every act of his 
life. It may seem at first that some persons do not 
have any chief object or any purpose which domi- 
nates and directs their daily life, yet every individual 
has such a purpose, even if he has never acknowl- 
edged it to himself. The man who sets out to get 
for himself the most pleasure that he can does not in 
most cases admit to himself that this is his principal 
object in life. Sometimes the person whose deepest 
wish is to leave the world better than he found it 
would be surprised if this thought were put into 
words. Why, then, debate the question of the most 
desirable aims in life.^^ For two reasons: first, be- 
cause frequently those who never think of their aims 
are following some of which they would be ashamed 
if they took time to think, and, second, because he 
who sees his aim most clearly is most likely to accom- 
plish it. 

As before, the opinions of the class as to desirable F^nd your 
life aims are sure to be of various hues, shading into 
each other as do the colors in the rainbow. Try to 
determine as definitely as possible what you consider 
the best aim in life and prepare to win others over to 
your standpoint. 

Your talk will probably be most effective if you ^ , 
avoid a general statement of your aim, such as "to 
get the most out of life," and use such a specific 
statement as "to make money," or "to make as many 
friends as possible," or "to secure as much leisure 
as possible." Any influence you exert upon your 



182 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

friends in this matter is exceedingly important. 
Turn back to page 174 to remind yourself of the 
means of doing it. 

When you are sure that your speech is well pre- 
pared, spend your spare minutes memorizing these 
lines. Your aim may be a true "gleam" worth 
following. 

Not of the sunlight, 

Not of the moonlight, 

Not of the starlight ! 

O young mariner, 

Down to the haven, 

Launch your vessel. 

And crowd your canvas 

And, ere it vanishes 

Over the margin. 

After it, follow it. 

Follow The Gleam. ^ 

— Tennyson: "Merlin and The Gleam." 

If you would like to try writing a stanza on ''An 
Aim," your teacher will be glad to see what you can 
do. It will probably be easier for you to use rhymed 
verse in securing a poetic effect than to attempt 
any form of blank verse. 
^. Your teacher will be so interested to know what 

hive your 

opinions you cousider desirable aims in life that he will wish 
to preside over this meeting himself, calling upon 
as many to speak as time will j)ermit. Any pupil 
who does not have the opportunity to exprt^ss an 
opinion orally should do so in a brief written ])ara- 
graph at the close of the oral period. 

At the end of the period, your teacher will coni- 

'Hy permission of Macmillan and (\)mpany, Ltd., Ix)n(l()n. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 183 

ment upon the work of each speaker from his notes. Jndge the 
Pupils who have not presented their opinions may ^^*^^^^^ 
be writing them out while the speeches are being 
criticized. 

71 
Should the School Term Be Changed.^ 

In Newark, N. J., and in some other places in the Find your 
United States, schools now run the year around. 
Instead of having two semesters they have four 
quarters, and pupils are expected to attend during 
at least three quarters. Supposing that scheme 
were to be introduced in your town, would it be 
better for pupils of your age to be in school three 
quarters, or four.? Which quarter would it be best 
for those pupils who desire a vacation to stay out of 
school .f^ Would the plan be an improvement upon 
the present one.^^ All this is a more concrete way of 
saying, "How much vacation do pupils of your age 
need, and when is the best time for it.?" Write your 
opinion upon the subject of the all-year school. If 
you think of another plan better than either of those 
suggested and can show why it is better, present 
that. 

As soon as you have outlined your ideas, reread WHte 
pages 36-7 and 63-4. The good beginnings and end- 
ings described there would not be exactly suited 
to such arguments as this. Can you adapt the 
principles.? Then turn to page 137 and think how 
illustration might help you to-day. If you cannot 
use comparison, can't you use some one child as an 
instance? Finally, review the means of persuasion 



184 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

suggested earlier in this chapter. See how good an 
argument you can write. 

^Mien your written argument is quite satisfactory 
to you both in content and appearance, use what- 
ever time is left to read the following paragraph. 
^Miat opinion does Miss Addams express .^^ Notice 
how well her argument is supported by illustration. 

In spite of these flourishing clubs for children early 
established at Hull House, and the fact that our first or- 
ganized undertaking was a kindergarten, we were very 
insistent that the Settlement should not be primarily for 
the children, and that it was absurd to suppose that grown 
people would not respond to opportunities for education 
and social life. Our enthusiastic kindergartner herself 
demonstrated this with an old woman of ninety, who, 
because she was left alone all day while her daughter 
cooked in a restaurant, had formed such a persistent habit 
of picking the plaster off the walls that one landlord after 
another refused to have her for a tenant. It required but 
a few weeks' time to teach her to make large paper chains, 
and gradually she was content to do it all day long. In 
the end she took quite as much pleasure in adorning the 
walls as she had formerly taken in demolishing them. 
Fortunately the landlord had never heard the aesthetic 
principle that the exposure of basic construction is more 
desirable than gaudy decoration. In the course of time 
it was discovered that the old woman could sj)eak Gaelic, 
and when one or two grave professors came to see her, 
the neighborhood was filled with i)ride that such a wonder 
lived in their midst. To mitigate life for a woman of 
ninety was an unfailing refutation of the statement that 
the Settlement was designed for the young.' 

Jane Addams: Turrit}/ Yearn at Hull House. 

'Reprinted hy pormission of the Macmillan Company, publishers. 



[Book 2] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 185 

You and your parents will enjoy reading Twenty Read at 
Years at Hull House by Jane Addams. It is a record ^^^ 
of one of the most interesting experiments in social 
work ever tried in America. 

72 

A Debate 

As the question of the all-year school seems to piaytUs 
have a real pro and con, it might be well to hold a ^^'^^ 
formal debate upon the subject. State the propo- 
sition exactly. Then choose two leaders, one for 
the affirmative and one for the negative. Let each 
leader choose two supporters, making a total of 
three speakers on each side. 

The arguments written by the pupils in the pre- 
ceding lesson should be collected, sorted into those 
for and those against the all-year school, and given 
to the leaders of the respective sides for possible 
suggestions as to points. 

The debaters must, of course, have time to confer. 

While they are doing this, you and your teacher 
might discuss the general procedure of debating. 

A committee of three older pupils should be asked judge the 
to judge this debate, taking into consideration when ^^^"^^ 
they do so: 

1. Number and importance of points sustained. 

2. Forcefulness of delivery. 

3. Excellence of rebuttal. 

The class, acting as general audience, may keep 
a similar score, supporting all judgments with notes 
from the speeches. Before announcing their de- 



186 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 2] 

cision the judges will read the points which they feel 
that each side presented convincingly, the members 
of the audience indicating by a show of hands 
whether they agree that the point w^as really sus- 
tained. This popular vote will be an index of the 
skill of the presentation, the judges' decision an 
index of the clearness of the thinking. If the 
judges decide in favor of the team making the fewer 
points, they will tell which of these points was so 
important as to outweigh the larger number made 
by the losers. 

73 

Investments for Young People 

Findymr Can boys and girls be expected to save money.'^ 
vroblem jf ^^^^ ^.j^y ^^^^ jf g^^ ^^i^^ jg ^^VQ bcst thing to do 

with their savings? Savings which are s])ent shortly 
are after all not savings. Saving to buy Christmas 
presents, for instance, is not saving in the sense we 
now mean. Some members of your class are now 
making permanent bank deposits upon which they 
may fall back to hell) them through college if need 
be, or to supply a small capital with which to start 
in business. If you are one of these, you have but 
to organize and state the ideas upon which you have 
been acting. If you are not one of these, you need 
to do some serious thinking. The ])r()gram of action 
which you outline will probably be tlu* one which 
you at least will follow; it may influence the action 
of others also. This mattiM* is worth some stu(l\' and 
discussion, isn't it? J'rej)are to tell the class your 
opinion upon it. 



[ Book 2 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 187 

As this will probably be your last opinion meeting ^tudy 
for the term see if you can make your short speech 
a model of excellence not only in expression, which 
depends upon correct sentence structure, correct 
grammar, and suitable vocabulary, but also in content, 
which includes sound arguments and illustrations. 
Ask yourself these questions as you practise your 
speech silently: 

Is my opinion reasonable? 

Am I presenting it enthusiastically? 

Have I cited any interesting illustration or com- 
parison? 

Is my ending effective? 

If you finish your preparation before the time is 
up, try to restate in a single sentence the meaning of 
each of the following old sayings: 

Waste not, want not. 

A penny saved is a penny earned. 

Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care 

of themselves. 
Many a mickle makes a muckle. 

It's not what you earn, or what you spend, 
It's what you save, that counts in the end. 

A rolling stone gathers no moss. 

A fat kitchen makes a lean purse. 

Some people are too stingy to be prosperous. 

Nothing venture, nothing gain. 

Choose a chairman for this meeting and draw lots -present 
for your turn to speak. opinions 

Three of the pupils whose standards of speech are j^^ ^ .j 
very high may be asked to judge the merits of the opinions 
talks. It will be a good plan for each judge to work 



188 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 2 ] 

separately, writing brief comments upon the various 
speeches. At the close of the meeting the judges 
may confer for a few minutes and then give a joint 
report to the class upon each speaker's work. The 
pupils may choose, without discussion, the speaker 
who inspired them most. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 
BOOK THREE 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 

BOOK III 

CHAPTER I 

1 

Reason for Pride 

You are proud of the school you have been at- Find your 
tending, and especially proud of your own class or v^^^^^^ 
room. Athletic achievements, scholarship, school 
spirit, honesty and honor, orderliness, sympathy be- 
tween teachers and pupils — in some or all of these 
directions you are sure your school or room is unusual. 
Think back over the events of the last two years or 
more, dwelling especially upon incidents which il- 
lustrate these good qualities of your school or room. 

At the beginning of this ninth year you may have 
many new classmates, or even schoolmates, who do 
not know the history you have just been reviewing. 
Exchanging such school experiences will prove a 
pleasant and effective way of breaking the social ice 
and getting acquainted. Of course you must not 
boast, but you will be justified in telling your story 
in such a way as to exhibit clearly the ground for 
your pride in your own group. 

Even if you happen to be in a junior high school 

[ Book 3 1 1 



2 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

and therefore in a class which is practically the 
same as it was last year, you will find such a day 
of reminiscences helpful. Upper classmen, in order 
to fulfill their duties as the leaders of the school, 
need to be thoroughly familiar with its traditions 
and saturated with its spirit. Your story may help 
to produce these desirable conditions. 
Study Just a word of advice about your preparation. If 

your story is to produce admiration and enthusiasm 
in the audience, it must not be halting and broken. 
The surest way to make your narrative at once fluent 
and vigorous is to think it over, jot down in outline 
form the succession of events you wish to use, and 
then talk it over to yourself. This will make your 
delivery both ready and natural. 

If 3^ou finish before the others, read the following 
pledge : 

Pledge of Allegiance 

I pledge allegiance to Wasliington Junior High School, 
and to the democracy for wliich it stands, witli equal op- 
portunity for all to sluire in its i)rivilegcs and responsibili- 
ties. I pledge myself in su])p()rt of our school government 
to heed the example of Washington whose name is my 
school's crowning honor. 

Try to compose a similar pledge expressing lo^^alty 
to wliat(^ver ideals your school stands for. Any 
pledges submitted, your teacher will j)resent to the 
class at the close of the lesson for judgment. The 
best one will doubtless be adopted as the class pledge 
of allegiance to the school. 

To conduct the oral expression j)eri()d, a temporary 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 3 

chairman may be chosen, who will call upon various Tell your 
members of the class to tell their stories. * ^^*^* 

Perhaps in this first lesson of the term all criticism Judge the 
of stories may be omitted, but it is well to remember 
that progress in oral English depends in part upon 
having a standard of excellence as a goal of attain- 
ment. If those who hear your stories will help you 
by comparing your work with such a standard you 
will soon learn your particular points of strength 
and of weakness. Some time might be spent during 
this period in discussing just what constitutes ex- 
cellence in oral work. In setting up a standard be 
sure to consider three necessary phases: content, 
expression, and delivery. 

School stories are always fascinating. Both boys Read at 
and girls like such stories as Pier's The Boys of St. leisure 
Timothy^ s and Barbour's Winning his "F. " If you 
have read all the school stories of this kind that you 
care for, perhaps you will be interested in Nicholas 
Nickleby by Charles Dickens. Nicholas goes to 
teach in Dotheboys Hall, where ignorance and terror 
reign supreme. How he finally takes the side of the 
boys and administers a sound drubbing to their 
tyrant makes an exciting part of the story. 

2 

A Boomerang 

Marion had listened the night before to stories of candy Read 
loaded with pepper or tabasco sauce. The idea had ap- silently 
pealed strongly to her taste for practical jokes. Even 
though she rose early, the doctoring of the candy took so 
long that she left home a few minutes later than usual. 



4 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

Hurrying along to school, she laughed aloud several times 
as she imagined the exclamations and facial expressions 
of different girls when the pepper began to burn. She 
reached her room only just in time to sink into her seat as 
the bell rang. 

Then a second brilliant idea struck Marion: she would 
pass the candy in school and watch the victims struggling 
to conceal their agony. No sooner thought than done. 
In her excitement, however, she did not notice that the 
teacher had passed to the back of the room and was com- 
ing up behind her. Marion pretended to eat one piece 
as she offered another to Emily, across the aisle. 

"Marion, what are you eating.^" The question came 
like a bolt from the blue sky. 

'*Why-er-er-er," Marion stammered. Then, at the 
thought that the teacher would probably confiscate and 
possibly eat the sweets, she almost shouted, "Only a little 
fudge. Miss Steam." 

Miss Steam was noted for her peculiar methods of pun- 
ishment. Now she said: "It's too bad you didn't have 
time to finish your breakfast. Such hasty eating isn't 
healthful. You may use my desk for your table and eat 
as much as you like — at least three or four of those small 
pieces." 

Pale and bewildered, Marion stumbled up to the teach- 
er's desk, thinking all the while, "Every piece is full of 
pepper. Every piece is full ! " She sank into the teacher's 
chair and pretended to eat. 

Miss Steam's wrath was hot this morning, for Marion 
was an old offender; so she continued in the sweetest tones: 
"Don't mind us, Marion; you won't finish by noon if you 
nibble so daintily. Take a good bite. That's good. 
Now another! Now the whole i)iece." 

All this was intended merely to make the fastidious 
Marion look and feel ridiculous sitting before the whole 
room with her moutli full of chocolate, l)ut she had hap- 
pened to take the hnnp in which there was the most cay- 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 5 

enne. Her rising color was naturally attributed to em- 
barrassment, and her tears to the same cause. Finally, 
as the pain became unbearable, her features began to 
twist, and then she dashed from the room like a creature 
fleeing from fire. 

Miss Stearn found her beside a drinking fountain in 
the hall, speechless. The next day, when Marion had par- 
tially recovered her voice, she explained to Miss Stearn; 
but she has never cared to explain to her chums. 

We all like moderate practical jokes, but they are Find your 
even funnier when the joker is also the victim; there ^^^ ^^ 
is then no pity mixed with our amusement. This 
makes such stories especially good ones with which 
to entertain our friends. The good time which a 
class hour devoted to them will provide will help you 
ctnd your new classmates to feel more acquainted and 
at ease together. Tell of some real incident if you 
remember a good one, or make up one for the occasion. 
No one will ask whether the story is true; the only 
requirements are that it be probable and dramati- 
cally funny. 

When you have your own narrative well thought Study 
out, look over the story of Marion's joke to see 
what you can learn from it about how to tell 
such a story successfully. The narrator was trying 
to amuse you. Has he kept his purpose constantly 
in mind.? What is the amusing situation.? Notice 
how the ideas of the pain of the pepper and of the 
onlooker's amusement are kept constantly before 
the reader. The only thing besides this in the story 
is the preparation for making Marion the victim. 
The reader knows, long before Marion does, that 



6 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 3 ] 

she is getting into trouble, and enjoys the anticipation. 
The story is "focused" upon Marion's feehngs 
during the short time she occupied Miss Steam's 
chair. Can any detail or word be changed without 
lessening the effect? Perhaps you can suggest a 
change that will bring out Marion's predicament 
even more strongly. 

Now reconsider your own story with the idea ot to- 

cusing attention upon some particular incident. Have 

you chosen just the right words? Are any of theexpres- 

sions you had planned to use superfluous? Have you 

included too much explanation? Have you enough? 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 

read the following anecdote from Jerome K. Jerome's 

Three Men in a Boat. Perhaps at the close of the 

lesson vour teacher will allow you to read the story 

aloud for the class. Since a humorous selection must 

be well read to be enjoyed by an audience, be sure 

that you understand the joke yourself. 

We were a fashionable and higblv cnltured party. We 
had on our ])est clothes and we talked prettily and were 
very happv— all except two young fellows, students, just 
returned from Germany, conHn()ni)lace youn*: men, who 
seemed restless and unc()mf()rtal)le, as if they found the 
proceedings .slow. The truth was we were too clever for 
Ihem Our brilliant but polished convor.sation and our 
hi«h-elass tastes wore bt^V()n(l them. They were out of 
place among us. They ou^M.t novrr to have been there 
at all. Everybody agreed upon that later on. 

Somebody recited a French poem after supper, and we 
s lid it was beautiful; then a lady .sang a .sentimental ballad 
in Spanish and it made one or two of us weep, it was so 
pathetic. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 7 

Then those two young men got up, and asked if we had 
ever heard Herr Slossen Boschen (who had just arrived 
and was then down in the supper room) sing his great Ger- 
man comic song. 

None of us had heard it, that we could remember. 

The young men said it was the funniest song that had 
ever been written and that, if we Hked, they would get 
Herr Slossen Boschen, whom they knew very well, to sing 
it. They said it was so funny that when Herr Slossen 
Boschen had sung it before the German Emperor, he (the 
German Emperor) had had to be carried off to bed. 

They said nobody could sing it like Herr Slossen Bos- 
chen; he was so intensely serious all through it that you 
might fancy he was reciting a tragedy, and that, of course, 
made it all the funnier. They said he never once sug- 
gested by his tone or manner that he was singing any- 
thing funny — that would spoil it. It was his air of serious- 
ness, almost of pathos, that made it so irresistibly amusing. 

We said that we yearned to hear it, that we wanted 
a good laugh; and they went downstairs to fetch Herr 
Slossen Boschen. 

He appeared to be quite pleased to sing it, for he came 
up at once, and sat down to the piano without another 
word. 

"Oh, it will amuse you. You will laugh," whispered 
the two young men, as they passed through the room and 
took up an unobtrusive position behind the professor's back. 

Herr Slossen Boschen accompanied himself. The pre- 
lude did not suggest a comic song exactly. It was a weird, 
soulful air. It quite made one's flesh creep; but we mur- 
mured to one another that it was the German method, and 
prepared to enjoy it. 

I don't understand German myself. I learned it at 
school but forgot every word of it two years after I had 
left, and have felt much better ever since. Still, I did not 
want the people there to guess my ignorance, so I hit 
upon what I thought to be rather a good idea. I kept 



8 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

my eye on the two young students, and followed them. 
When they tittered, I tittered; when they roared, I roared; 
and I also threw in a little snigger all by myself now and 
then, as if I had seen a bit of humor that had escaped the 
others. I considered this particularly artful on my part. 

I noticed, as the song progressed, that a good many 
other people seemed to have their eyes fixed on the two 
young men as well as myself. These other people also 
tittered when the young men tittered, and roared when 
the young men roared; and, as the two young men tittered 
and roared and exploded with laughter pretty continuously 
all through the song, it went exceedingly well. 

And yet, that German professor did not seem happy. 
At first, when we began to laugh, the expression of his 
face was one of intense surprise, as if laughter were the 
very last thing he had expected to be greeted with. We 
thought this very funny; we said his earnest manner was 
half the humor. The slightest hint on his part that he 
knew how funny he was would have completely ruined it 
all. As we continued to laugh, his surprise gave way to 
an air of annoyance and indignation, and he scowled 
fiercely round upon us all (except upon the two young 
men, who, being behind him, could not be seen). That 
sent us into convulsions. We told each other it would be 
the death of us, this thing. The words alone, we said, were 
enough to send us into fits, but added to his mock serious- 
ness — oh, it was too nuich! 

In the last verse he surpassed himself. lie glowered 
round upon us with a look of such concentrated ferocity 
that, but for our being forewarned as to tlie (icrman 
method of comic singing, we should have been nervous; and 
he threw such a wailing note of agony into the weird music 
that, if we had not known it was a funny song, we might 
have wept. 

TI(» fiuisluMl amid ;i i)erfc('t sliriek of laiiglitor. We said 
it was the funniest tiling we had ever heard in all our lives. 
We said how strange it was that in the face of things like 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 9 

these, there should be a popular notion that the Germans 
hadn't any sense of humor. We asked the professor why 
he didn't translate the song into English, so that the com- 
mon people could understand it, and hear what a real 
comic song was like. 

Then Herr Slossen Boschen got up. He swore at us in 
German (which I should judge to be a singularly effective 
language for that purpose) and he danced and shook his 
fists, and called us all the English he knew. He said he 
never had been so insulted in all his life. 

It appeared that the song was not a comic at all. It 
was about a young girl who lived in the Hartz Mountains, 
and who had given up her life to save her lover's soul; and 
he died and met her spirit in the air — I'm not quite sure 
of the details, but it was something very sad, I know. 
Herr Boschen said it was generally acknowledged to be one 
of the most tragic and pathetic songs in the German 
language. 

It was a trying situation for us — very trying. There '"^ ■ 

seemed to be no answer. We looked around for the two 
young men who had done this thing, but they had left the 
house in an unostentatious manner immediately after the 
end of the song. 

That was the end of the party. I never saw a party 
break up so quietly and with so little fuss. We never 
said good night even to one another. We came downstairs 
one at a time, walking softly, and keeping the shady side. 
We asked the servants for our hats and coats in whispers, , r 

and opened the door for ourselves. We slipped out and ;/:... 

got around the corner quickly, avoiding one another as 
much as possible. 

I have never taken much interest in German songs since 
then. 

As there may not be time to hear more than eight Tell your 
or ten stories, speakers may be selected in this way ; *^^^*^* 
Write on a slip of paper an attractive title for your 



10 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 3 



Judge the 
stories 



Read at 

your 

leisure 



story — one which suggests the character of the joke 
if possible. Your teacher will collect these slips 
and read off the titles, allowing the class to choose 
by a show of hands the stories to be presented. 

Each pupil who tells a story may choose one ad- 
verse critic and one favorable critic from the pupils 
who are not presenting their work orally. It will 
help these pupils to render discriminating criticism 
if the class works out a standard in question form 
for testing the stories. One question will surely 
be, "Is the attention focused on the chief in- 
cident of the story.^" The critics will pass judg- 
ment upon each story as soon as it is told, before it 
has faded from the minds of the audience. 

Do you know how the boys of Rivermouth plaj^ed 
a trick upon the whole village with the old guns on 
the wharf .'^ You will chuckle many times over some 
harmless prank as you read Thomas Bailey Aid- 
rich's The Story of a Bad Boy. 



A Bold Bluff 



Read 
silently 



Bluffing is a bad habit, but an occasional bluff is a 
sign of real character. You have little use for the 
person of whom you say, "Oh, he's just a big bluff," 
but you really admire the one who, when he has done 
his best and is caught in a difficulty through no fault 
of his own, saves himself by a shrewd guess or an 
assumption of more knowledge or strength than he 
really possesses. Even teachers object, not to the 
bluffing, but to the too frequent need for bluffing. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 11 

The successful bluff arouses our admiration; the 
unsuccessful one usually provokes our laughter. 

Prepare to tell the story of a bold bluff — successful ^*^/^ v^"^ 

r^ ' ^ P 1 . problem 

or disastrous. Get your material irom history, 
fiction, hearsay, or your own experience. 

The boldness of the action is the thing to which Study 
everything else must become tributary. Make it 
stand out as does an actor under the spotlight. Can 
you manage your narrative so that your hearers will 
take the same attitude toward the bluff and the 
bluffer that you do.^^ Talk it over to yourself, watch- 
ing to see whether you have done your best in these 
two ways. 

When your story is well prepared read the follow- 
ing account of Mr. Winkle's bluff. If there is time 
at the close of the period your teacher will allow 
those who have read it silently to present it in parts 
for the class. 

"Now," said Wardle after lunch, "what say you to an 
hour on the ice? We shall have plenty of time." 

"Capital!" said Mr. Benjamin Allen. 

"Prime!" ejaculated Mr. Bob Sawyer. 

"You skate, of course, Winkle?" said Wardle. 

"Ye-yes; O, yes!" replied Mr. Winkle. I-I am rather 
out of practice." 

"Oh, do skate, Mr. Winkle!" said Arabella. "I Hke 
to see it so much!" 

"O, it is so graceful!" said another young lady. 

A third young lady said it was elegant, and a fourth 
expressed her opinion that it was "swan-like." 

"I should be very happy, I'm sure," said Mr. Winkle, 
reddening; "but I have no skates." 

This objection was at once overruled. Trundle had a 



12 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

couple of pairs and the fat boy announced that there 
were half a dozen more down stairs; whereat Mr. Winkle 
expressed exquisite delight, and looked exquisitely uncom- 
fortable. 

Old Wardle led the way to a pretty large sheet of ice; 
and the fat boy and Mr. Weller having shoveled and 
swept away the snow which had fallen on it during the 
night, Mr. Bob Sawyer adjusted his skates with a dex- 
terity which to Mr. Winkle was perfectly marvelous, and 
described circles with his left leg, and cut figures-of -eight, 
and inscribed upon the ice, without once stopping for 
breath, a great many other pleasant and astonishing de- 
vices, to the excessive satisfaction of Mr. Pickwick, Mr. 
Tupman, and the ladies; which reached a pitch of positive 
enthusiasm when old Wardle and Benjamin Allen, as- 
sisted by the aforesaid Bob Sawyer, performed some 
mystic evolutions which they called a reel. 

All this time Mr. Wrinkle, with his hands and face blue 
with the cold, had been forcing a gimlet into the soles of 
his feet, and putting his skates on with the points be- 
hind, and getting the straps into a very complicated and 
entangled state; with the assistance of Mr. Snodgrass 
ijvho knew rather less about skates than a Hindu. At 
length, however, with the assistance of Mr. Weller, the 
unfortunate skates were firmly screwed and buckled on, 
and Mr. Winkle was raised to his feet. 

"Now then, sir," said Sam, in an encouraging tone, 
"off with you, and show *em how to do it." 

"Stop, Sam, stop!'" said Mr. Winkle, trembling vio- 
lently, and clutching hold of Sam*s arms with the grasp 
of a drowning man. "How slippery it is, Sam!" 

"Not an uncommon thing upon ice, sir," replied Mr. 
Weller. "Hold up, sir." 

This last observation of Mr. Weller's bore reference to 
a demonstration IVIr. Winkle made, at the instant, of a 
frantic debirc to throw his feet in the air, and dash the 
back of his head on the ice. 



[ Booh S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 13 

"Now, Winkle," said Mr. Pickwick, quite unconscious 
that there was anything the matter, '*come: the ladies 
are all anxiety." 

*'Yes, yes," replied Mr. Winkle with a ghastly smile, 
"I'm coming." 

"Just going to begin," said Sam, endeavoring to dis- 
engage himself. "Now, sir, start off." 

"Stop an instant, Sam," gasped Mr. Winkle, clinging 
most affectionately to Mr. Weller. "I find I've got a 
couple of coats at home that I don't want, Sam. You 
may have them, Sam." 

"Thank'ee, sir," said Mr. Weller. 

"Never mind touching your hat, Sam," said Mr. 
Winkle hastily. "You needn't take your hand away to 
do that. I meant to have given you five shillings this 
morning for a Christmas-box, Sam. I'll give it to you 
this afternoon, Sam." 

"You're wery good, sir," replied Mr. Weller. 

"Just hold me at first, Sam: will you?" said Mr. 
Winkle. "There, that's right. I shall soon get in the 
way of it, Sam. Not too fast, Sam; not too fast!" 

Mr. Winkle, stooping forward, with his body half 
doubled up, was being assisted over the ice by Mr. Weller, 
in a very singular and un-swanlike manner, when Mr. 
Pickwick most innocently shouted from the opposite 
bank: 

"Sam!" 

"Sir?" said Mr. Weller. 

"Here! I want you." 

"Let go, sir," said Sam: "don't you hear the gov- 
ernor calling? Let go, isir." 

With a violent effort, Mr. Weller disengaged himself 
from the grasp of the agonized Winkle, and, in so doing, 
administered a considerable impetus to him. With an 
accuracy which no degree of dexterity or practice could 
have insured, that unfortunate gentleman bore swiftly 
down into the center of the skaters, at the very moment 



14 ENGLISH IN SERM:CE [ Booh 3 ] 

when Mr. Bob Sawyer was performing a flourish of un- 
paralleled beauty. 

Mr. Winkle struck wildly against him, and with a loud 
crash they fell heavily down. Mr. Pickwick ran to the 
spot. Bob Sawyer had risen to his feet, but Mr. Winkle 
was far too wise to do anything of the kind in skates. 
He was seated on the ice making spasmodic efforts to 
smile; but anguish was depicted on every lineament of 
his countenance. 

*'Are you hurt.^^" inquired IVIr. Benjamim Allen, vA\h 
great anxiety. 

"Not much," said Mr. Winkle, rubbing his back very 
hard. 

"I wish you'd let me bleed you," said Mr. Benjamin 
with great eagerness. 

"No, thank you," replied Mr. Winkle hurriedly. 

"What do yoii think, Mr. Pickwick.'^" inquired Bob 
Sawyer. 

Mr. Pickwick was excited and indignant. He beckoned 
to Mr. Weller, and said in a stern voice, ''Take his skates 
off." 

"No; but really I had scarcely begun," remonstrated 
Mr. Winkle. 

"Take his skates off," repeated Mr. Pickwick firmly. 

The command was not to be resisted. Mr. Winkle 
allowed Sam to obey it in silence. 

"Lift him up," said Mr. Pickwick. Sam assisted him 
to rise. 

Mr. Pickwick retired a few paces apart from the by- 
standers; and, beckoning Winkle to approach, fixed a 
searching look upon him and uttered in a low but distinct 
and emphatic tone these remarkable words: 

"You're a hum])ug, sir." 

"A what.^" said Mr. Winkle starting. 

"A humbug, sir. I will s{)eak more plainly if you wish 
it : an iiniM)st()r, sir." 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 15 

With these words Mr. Pickwick turned slowly on his heel, 

and reioined his friends. ^ ^, „. , . , 

— Dickens, The Pickimck Papers. 

You may draw lots today to see which ten pupils Tell your 
may have opportunity to speak. If the stories prove *^om« 
very interesting, other pupils may be called upon at 
the next class period. 

Pupils who told stories during the last oral period j^dge the 
may act as judges today, each pupil being assigned stories 
to offer comment upon the work of one speaker. The 
judges may write their criticisms and hand in the 
papers. Your teacher will discuss these criticisms 
with you when all the speakers have finished. 



Am Castles 

Human nature is the most interesting thing in the Read 
world. Human life is the next most interesting **^^^^ 
thing. Both of these are revealed at once by air 
castles and what becomes of them. The building of air 
castles — day dreaming, some people call it — is perhaps 
the most characteristically human of all the things 
we do. Day dreams are not to be confused with 
those of the night. Day dreams are our waking 
fancies of things that we shall do, or should like to do, 
in the future, and the realization or the disappoint- 
ment of these dreams shows how we are affected by 
our physical and social surroundings. 

Air castles, or day dreams, will make an absorbing Find ymir 
and useful subject of study. Since you would not v^'ohlem 
care to tell frankly and fully all about the air castles 



16 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

in which you Hve at present, you can hardly expect 
your classmates to exhibit theirs. There are, how- 
ever, two other possibihties. You will not mind 
telling about those you used to have, whether they 
have materialized into reality or not; and you can tell 
quite a little of some other person's dream, revealed 
through his actions or his chance remarks. 
Study Prepare to describe some one's air castle, day 

dream, estate in Spain, and to tell what became of it. 
The dream itself, or the outcome— which is to be the 
center of interest in your narrative.'^ You will need 
to decide this question before you begin to choose 
your details. 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 
read this poem and try to decide exactly what Lowell 
means by "Aladdin's lamp." Is it imagination, or 
expectancy, or youth.^ 

Aladdin^ 

When I was a be<:]^garly boy 
And lived in a cellar damp, 
I had not a friend nor a toy. 
But I had Aladdin's lamp; 
When I could not sleep for the cold 
I had fire enough in my brain. 
And buildcd, with roofs of gold, 
My beautiful castles in Spain! 

Since then I have toiled day and night, 
I have money and power good store. 
But I'd give all my lamps of silver })right 
For the one that is mine no more; 



' liy ixTinission of and s|)0(ial arrangement with Iloughloii MifHin 
Company, the authorized |)ul)Ii.sluT.s. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 17 

Take, Fortune, whatever you choose. 
You gave and may snatch again; 
I have nothing 'twould pain me to lose, 
For I own no more castles in Spain ! 

— ^Lowell 

Every one may have an opportunity to tell his or Tell your 
her story in this lesson, even though more than one ^^^^^^^ 
period may be required. 

As each story is told, a committee of two may re- j^^ge the 
cord any necessary comments about it, one judge con- *^o^*^* 
fining his attention to points of excellence in the tell- 
ing and the other to points of weakness. At the close 
of each period devoted to the stories the judges will 
read what they have recorded. A vocabulary clerk 
may also be at work during this series of oral com- 
positions, listing words and phrases worth remember- 
ing. There will doubtless be many of these, as the 
topic demands a somewhat unusual vocabulary. 

Mother had a castle in Spain : she always pictured Read at 
herself in a comfortable and attractive home. Father, y'^."^ 

' leisure 

however, insisted upon building a better barn. 
Mother's dream had taken firm possession of her 
mind, and mother was a practical little woman. 
"The Revolt of Mother," a short story in Mary E. 
Wilkins's volume called A New England Nun, tells 
how she made her dream come true. 

5 

A Thrilling Contest 

Of all the games which you have participated in Find your 
or witnessed, which ones do you remember.? Now ^^^ ^^ 



18 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

think about the scores in those games. Close, weren't 
they? The excitement of the close contest was what 
made you remember. Can you tell about one of 
those thrilling occasions in such a way that others 
will at least partly realize the situation? 
Study ^^"^^s the whole contest equally interesting, or was 

it only the last five minutes in which every one held 
his breath.^ Or was there one heart-stopping minute 
while a brilliant or unexpected play was going on.^ 
^Yhat else must you tell to make the climax clear.^ 
Were you disappointed or pleased at the outcome? 
Is it possible to make your audience share in that 
disappointment or pleasure? 

If some in the class have not had the experience of 
a thrilling contest, it may be well to divide into two 
groups, one preparing stories while the other reads the 
following account of an exciting contest between a 
shrewd lawyer and a dishonest witness. If you read, 
note how all the attention is centered in those few 
tense moments when the almanac is produced. 

Light in a Dark Place ^ 

(Tom Grayson has been arrested for the murder of George Lockwood, 
a deed of which he is entirely innocent although the two men were known 
to i>e upon had terms. Mrs. Gray.son l)egs Abraham Lincoln, whom she 
has often l>efriended in his childhood, to undertake the defense of her 
son. Lincoln appears in court as the attorney for the defendant, and 
cross-examines the witness Sovine in the following scene.) 

"How could you see Tom and know that it was he that 
fired, when the only light was nearly a mile away, and 
inside a circle of tents?" 

"Saw by moonlight,'* said Sovine, snappishly, disposed 
to dash at any gap that offered a possible way of escape. 

^From The Gray sons by permission of the Century Company. 



[ Booh S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 19 

"What sort of trees were there on the ground?" 

'*Beech." 

"Beech leaves are pretty thick in August?" asked 
Lincoln. 

"Ye-es, ruther," gasped the witness, seeing a new pit- 
fall yawning just ahead of him. 

"And yet light enough from the moon came through 
these thick beech trees to let you know Tom Grayson?" 

"Yes." 

"And you could see him shoot?" 

"Yes." 

"And you fully twenty feet away?" 

"Well, about that; nearly twenty feet anyhow." Dave 
shifted his weight to his right foot. 

"And you pretend to say to this court that by the moon- 
light that you got through the beech trees in August you 
could even see that it was a pistol that Tom had?" 

"Ye-es." Dave now stood on his left foot. 

"And you could see what kind of a pistol it was?" 
This was said with a little laugh very exasperating to the 
witness. 

"Yes, I could," answered Dave, with dogged resolution 
not to be faced down. 

"And just how the barrel was hung to the stock?" 
There was a positive sneer in Lincoln's voice now. 

"Yes." This was spoken feebly. 

"And you twenty feet or more away?" 

"I've got awful good eyes, an' I know what I see," 
whined the witness apologetically. 

Here Lincoln paused and looked at Sovine, whose ex- 
treme distress was only made the more apparent by his 
feeble effort to conceal his agitation. The counsel, after 
regarding his uneasy victim for a quarter of a minute, 
thrust his hand into the tail-pocket of his blue coat, and 
after a little needless fumbling drew forth a small pam- 
phlet in green covers. He turned the leaves of this with 
extreme deliberation, while the court-room was utterly 



go ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

silent. The members of the bar had as by general consent 
put their chairs down on all-fours, and were intently watch- 
ing the struggle between the counsel and the witness. The 
sallow-faced judge had stopped the scratching of his quill 
and had lowered his spectacles on his nose that he might 
study the distressed face of the tormented Sovine. Mrs. 
Grayson's hands were on her lap, palms downward; her 
eyes were fixed on Abra'm, and her mouth was half open, 
as though she were going to speak. 

Lincoln appeared to be the only perfectly deliberate per- 
son in the room. He seemed disposed to protract the sit- 
uation as long as possible. He held his victim on the rack 
and he let him suffer. He would turn a leaf or two in his 
pamphlet and then look up at the demoralized witness, 
as though to fathom the depth of his torture and to meas- 
ure the result. At last he fixed his thumb firmly at a cer- 
tain place on a page and turned his eyes to the judge. 

**Now, your Honor," he said to the court, ''this wit- 
ness," with a half-contemptuous gesture of his awkward 
left hand toward Sovine, "has sworn over and over that 
he recognized the accused as the person who shot George 
Lockwood, near the Union camp-meeting on the night of 
the ninth of last August and that he, the witness, was 
standing at the time twenty feet or more away, while the 
scene of the shooting was nearly a mile distant from the 
torches inside the circle of tents. So remarkably sharp 
are this witness's eyes that he even saw what kind of a 
pistol the prisoner held in his hands and how the barrel 
was hung to the stock, and he is able to identify this pistol 
of Grayson's as j)recisely like and probal)ly the identical 
weapon." Here Lincoln paused and scrutinized Sovine. 
"All these details he saw and observed in the brief space 
of time preceding the fatal shot — saw and observed them 
at ten o'clock at night, by means of moonlight shining 
through the trees — ])ee(h trees in full leaf. That is a 
pretty hard story. How nuich light does even a full moon 
shed in a beech woods like that on tli(^ Tnion camp-ground? 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 21 

Not enough to see your way by, as everybody knows 
who has had to stumble through such woods.'* Lincoln 
paused here, that the words he had spoken might have 
time to produce their due effect on the judge, and especially 
on the slower wits of some of the jury. Meanwhile he 
turned the leaves of his pamphlet. Then he began once 
more: *'But, may it please the court, before proceeding 
with the witness, I should like to have the jury look at the 
almanac which I hold in my hand. They will here see that 
on the night of the ninth of last August when this extraor- 
dinary witness . . . saw the shape of a pistol at 
twenty feet away, at ten o'clock, by moonlight, the moon 
did not rise until half -past one in the morning." 

So vine had been gasping like a fish newly taken from the 
water while Lincoln uttered these words, and he now began 
to mutter something. 



There was a rustle of excitement in the court-room, but 
at a word from the judge the sheriff's gavel fell and all 
was still. Lincoln walked slowly to the jury-box and 
gave the almanac to the foreman, an intelligent farmer. 
Countrymen in that day were used to consulting almanacs, 
and one group after another of the jurymen satisfied them- 
selves that on the night of the ninth, that is, on the morn- 
ing of the tenth, the moon came up at half -past one o'clock. 
When all had examined the page, the counsel recovered 
his little book. 

*'Will you let me look at it.^" asked the judge. 

"Certainly, your Honor;" and the little witness was 
handed up to the judge, who with habitual caution looked 
it all over, outside and in, even examining the title page 
to make sure that the book was genuine and belonged to 
the current year. 



"Now, may it please the court," Lincoln went on, "I 
wish at this point to make a motion. I think the court 



22 



ENGLISH IX SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 



will not regard it as out of order, as the case is yqt\ ex- 
ceptional — a matter of life and death. This witness has 
solemnly sworn to a story that has manifestly not one 
word of truth in it. It is one unbroken falsehood. In 
order to take away the life of an innocent man, he has in- 
vented this atrocious web of lies, to the falsity of which 
the very heavens above bear witness, as this almanac shows 
you. Now why does David Sovine go to all this trouble 
to perjure himself? Why does he wish to swear away 
the life of that young man who never did him any harm?" 
Lincoln stood still a moment and looked at the witness, 
who had grown ghastly pale about the lips. Then he went 
on very slowly: "Because that witness shot and killed 
George Lockwood himself. I move, your Honor, that 
David Sovine be arrested at once for murder." 

— Egglestox: The Graysons. 



Tell your 
storie.i 



Judge the 
stories 



Find your 
problem 



Those who have prepared stories of keen contests 
may now tell them to the class. 

The audience will vote as to which story told was 
the most intense and thrilling, discussing in detail 
its excellent qualities. 

After the stories have been told and judged, the 
readers may discuss Lincoln's handling of the Gray- 
son case. 

6 

A Real Young People's Book 

Here is your chance to become a real author. Be- 
cause hoys and girls are so clearly fond of hero tales, 
professional writers are constantly getting out books 
of such stories; but only (x*casionally do they catch 
the real spirit of young people. Wouldn't you like 
to liavc^ in vonr librarv a volume of stories written 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 23 

by boys and girls for boys and girls — stories about 
the people the writers admired, told from their own 
point of view? Then help to make it. Each mem- 
ber of your class will choose as the subject of one 
chapter in the book some hero or heroine in whom he 
is particularly interested. Remember that women 
as well as men have given great service to the world, 
and that not all heroes and heroines are dead. Each 
will report to the teacher the subject chosen, that 
duplicates may be avoided. If there is a bookbind- 
ing class in your school, you may make a real 
book out of this, copying your material upon double 
sheets, arranging them in sections or signatures as 
the bookbinders call them, and putting on card- 
board covers. If you have no bookbinding work, 
very much the same effect may be secured by the use 
of a loose-leaf notebook. Notebooks the size of 
ordinary library volumes and with capacity sufficient 
for all that the class will produce may be obtained 
with very little trouble. 

When your subject has been accepted, try to think Study 
what it is about this person which you admire, and 
how this can be most interestingly presented to 
others. You may find that you need to know more 
about the man or woman than you now know, or to 
refresh your half -forgotten impressions of his achieve- 
ments. Bring to school all the material that you can 
find about your character, and your teacher will allow 
you a class period to read it. Try to ^x the ideas in 
your mind without taking any notes or remembering 
the exact phrases of the books. When you think 
you have material enough for an interesting and con- 



24 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

vincing account of your subject, make an outline to 
organize your material. Try to present somewhat 
fully one or two climaxes in his life, rather than to 
sketch the life as a whole. This is not a biography; 
it is a hero story. You will do well to have your 
teacher and, if possible, several of your classmates 
criticize your outline before you go further. 
Write Vshen you have revised your plan and made it as 

effective as you can, begin the actual composition 
of your chapter. In the first writing it will be wise 
to work rapidly — not carelessly, but without giving 
undue attention to the details of form. If you write 
so that interlining is possible, you may revise your 
manuscript before the final copy is made for binding. 
This final copy will be typewritten if that is possible; 
otherwise you must copy it neatly in long hand. 

If you finish writing before the others, memorize 
whichever one of the following you prefer: 

For though the Giant Ages heave the hill 

And break the shore, and evermore 

Make and break, and work their will; 

Tho' world on world in myriad myriads roll 

Round us, each with different powers 

And different forms of life than ours. 

What know we greater than the soul? 

On God and Godlike men we build our trust. 

— Tennyson: " Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington." 

. . . . Their best part of life on earth is when, 
I>ong after death, prisoned and pent no more. 
Their thoughts, their wild dreams even, have become 
Part of the necessary air men breathe: 
When, like the moon, herself behind a cloud. 



[ Book S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 25 

They shed down Hght before us on hfe's sea 
That cheers us to steer onward still in hope. 
Earth with her twining memories ivies o'er 
Their holy sepulchres; the chainless sea, 
In tempest or wide calm, repeats their thoughts; 
The lightning and the thunder, all free things, 
Have legends of them for the ears of men. 
All other glories are as falling stars. 

— Lowell: "Prometheus."^ 

Of course you will all want to read the book that Judge the 
your class has produced, and undoubtedly your li^J^^^' 
teacher will allow each of you to take it home for one 
night. After you have read it through pass judg- 
ment upon your own composition in comparison 
with the others. Read parts of the book, including 
your own chapter, to your parents. 

Lives of great men and women are often more t^ead at 
fascinating than fiction. Several great biographical S^re 
works are suggested here. Choose at least one of 
them to read in your leisure time at home. 

RooseveWs Letters To His Children 

Whether or not Roosevelt is your chosen hero, you will 
be interested to become acquainted with the human, 
intimate, family side of this great national figure. 

John Muir: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth 

With all the love of hillside, stream, and forest in his 
heart, John Muir came from Scotland "to the wonderful, 
schoolless, bookless, American wilderness" there to read 
for us the pages of Nature's great book and tell us of his 

^By permission of and special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Co., 
authorized publishers. 



26 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

life on a Wisconsin farm. Later he tells us also of his 
craving for knowledge, and how he finally went to the 
university, earning honest dollars for his education by 
ingenious inventions such as clocks that would start the 
fire in the morning. 

Elinore Pruitt Stewart: The Letters of a Woman 
Homesteader 

Mrs. Stewart tells of her life on a Wyoming quarter- 
section; of her friends, Mrs. Louderer, Mrs. O'Shaughn- 
essy, and Cora Belle; of her delightful excursions into 
wild places, and of all the interesting details of life in a 
new country. 

Booker T. Washington: Up From Slavery 

One day a strange nuin in a blue uniform came to the 
plantation, and after the master had assembled all the 
slaves, the stranger read aloud a legal paper which his 
black audience could hardly understand. They knew 
what he meant by freedom, however, and one black 
mother, as she clas])ed her little boy in her arms, perhaps 
saw the vision of his rise to fame. 

Anna Howard Shaw: The Slory of a Pioneer 

Wouldn't you like to be set down in a wilderness to 
start a new home? It seems to us an experience to be 
prized, but it had its hardships as well as its thrilling ad- 
ventures. 

7 

Tiresomk! 

jlcnd I have forgotten wiiat tlie crime of Sisy|)l»us was, l)ut 

silcnthj liis |)unishment seems to me the most tiresome task of 

whicli I have ever heard. Tie had to roll a stone, so large 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 27 

that he could move it only by exerting all his strength, 
up a long hill. Always when he neared the top the gods 
caused the stone to slip from his grasp and roll down to 
the bottom of the hill. Then he was compelled to hasten 
after it and at once recommence the toilsome ascent. 
Day and night, year in and year out, century after century, 
he labored without rest or pause for breath. 

This was the story Homer Ragsdale told in a con- 
test with his friend Hiram Kennedy to see which 
could tell of the more wearisome piece of work. 
Hiram admitted thaf Homer had told a pretty big 
story, but insisted that it wasn't so good as his, be- 
cause it wasn't true. Here is Hiram's : 

If you have never dug plantain, you don't know what 
real work is. Three years ago, when we bought the place 
where we live now, the back yard was entirely overgrown 
with this weed. The plants were so close together that 
their leaves completely shaded the ground and made it 
impossible for grass to grow. Mowing them only scat- 
tered their seed and caused them to multiply, if any in- 
crease in their number was possible. To get any lawn, we 
had to remove those plantains by hand. Nor was this 
the worst of it. They had to be pulled with one hand 
while the fibrous roots below the thick main root were cut 
with the other. 

Father was too busy to help much, and he wanted the 
work done in time to get a stand of grass early in the sum- 
mer, so I was put at the task of clearing that patch, per- 
haps 75 X 125 feet, set so thickly with plantain that you 
couldn't see the ground. Down on my knees, with a 
June sun overhead, I yanked at the tops with my left 
hand while I slashed the roots with a case knife in my 
right hand and counted aloud the ones destroyed, for this 
was piece work — a penny a hundred. 



Find your 
problem 



Discuss 
in class 



Study 



28 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

To which boy would you have awarded the prize? 
You think you have a better story than either of 
these? Possibly. At any rate, it may be better than 
any one else in your class can tell. Try it, and the 
class will award the honors. Time limit : two minutes. 

What have you ever learned in composition classes 
that will help you to win? Examine the stories 
Homer and Hiram told. Do they begin well? Do 
they end strongly? Is each one focused upon a sin- 
gle situation? Is there sufficient detail to make them 
vivid? They are not given as models of perfection. 
Think out improvements in their details or in their 
wording. Make a list of principles of effectiveness 
which you think will help you to win. 

Now write out your own story. Criticize and re- 
vise it in the light of the principles you had in mind 
when you started. Then destroy it, lest you memo- 
rize it and so lose your freshness and vigor of state- 
ment before the class. Rehearse the story once or 
twice without attempting to remember any of the 
sentences. 

Wien your story is well prepared, spend whatever 
time is left in finding synonyms for these words. 
Your dictionary will help you. Note the part of 
speech of each word, and remember that an adjective 
is never a synonym for a noun, nor a noun for a verb. 
Re sure that you can use in a sentence each synonym 
wliic'h vou select. 



fati^niing 


monotonous 


strove 


incrssjintly 


(Iriidi^'cry 


exertion 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 29 

Every pupil may share the telHng today, but it Tell your 
would be well to appoint a timekeeper so that each 
speaker will remember to keep within the two-minute 
limit. 

Members of the audience may be allowed to com- Judge the 
ment briefly upon the work of each speaker as soon 
as he has finished. Any pupil who wishes to present 
favorable or unfavorable criticism may indicate his 
desire to do so by standing, and the speaker himself 
may call upon those standing for their comments. 

Have you ever read '*The Bridge-Builders" in R^adat 
Rudyard Kipling's The Day^s Work? As Finlayson 
says in the story, "There were no excuses in his ser- 
vice." The story ends with the strange dream of the 
over-tired, over- strained man and his happy awaken- 
ing when he realizes that his bridge still stands. 

8 

Keeping Up with the Times 
Does your school have a regular class in current Read 



events .f^ There is no more interesting or important 
study in which you could engage. To be a com- 
mercial or industrial success, you will need to know 
about the commercial, industrial, and scientific events 
of your time. To be a social success, you will need to 
know something of current literature, music, and art. 
To be a good citizen, you must be posted upon the 
social, industrial, and political situation. Nor can 
you say, "Time enough for that when I am through 
school. " You cannot pick these things up in a day. 
If you are not accustomed to read the daily paper. 



Silently 



Find i/nitr 
prohinn 
and .tudy 



30 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Book 3] 

you can not understand more than half of today's 
issue unless some one explains it to you. 

A current-events club, meeting once a week at the 
English period, would provide time and motive for 
beginning the study, and assistance in understanding 
unfamiliar problems. IMost clubs of this sort elect 
their own officers and plan their own programs. The 
teacher is usually merely an adviser to whom mem- 
bers can turn in case of difficulty or disagreement. 

To go through the process of organizing such a 
club is itself a good experience. For how long should 
officers be elected? \Yhom would you prefer for 
president.^ What other officers would you need? 
Would a program committee be desirable, or could 
you arrange a rotation of assignments that would 
run itself? Should there be any rules concerning 
the length of reports? Should there be any penalty 
for neglecting to prepare a report? These questions 
and others must be answered if you decide to have a 

club. 

Of course you have a definite o])inion for or against 
organizing a current-events club. Formulate the 
reasons for this opinion so that if you have an oppor- 
tunity you can state them clearly. If you do get a 
chance to speak, remember that one point well made 
is worth a basketful of mere statements. If you 
think a club is desirable, or even if you don't care for 
a club but think you will be outvoted, give some 
thought to the prohh^ns of organization. 

When your argunicnt is well pn'i)ar(Ml you may 
read over the following t,vi)i('al constitution and by- 
laws for a school club. Is it suggestive for the kind 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 31 

of club your class is considering? How would you 
adapt it to your own purposes? 

Typical Constitution and By-Laws 

constitution 

Article I. — Name 

The name of this organization shall be the Webster 
Club of the Oswego High School. 

Article II. — Object 

The Webster Club shall have for its object the improve- 
ment of its own members in public speaking, debating, and 
the use of parliamentary law. 

Article III. — Members 

Members of the Webster Club shall consist of two 
classes, active and honorary. Any student of the Oswego 
High School who has passed the Regents examination in 
second year English may become an active member of 
this club by making written application to the secretary, 
paying a fee of twenty-five cents, and signing the consti- 
tution. Any member of the Oswego High School Faculty 
may become an honorary member of this club by paying 
a fee of twenty-five cents and signing the constitution. 

Article IV. — Officers 

The officers of the Webster Club shall be a President, 
Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Critic and Teller, 
elected by ballot from the members of the club at the first 
regular meeting of each school term, for the remainder of 
the term. All olBScers shall remain in ofiice until their 
successors are elected. The Critic must be a member of 
the Oswego High School faculty. 



I 



32 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

Article V. — Committees 

There shall be the following standing committees and 
as many other committees as from time to time may seem 
necessary: Appointment, Program, and Membership. 
The members of the Appointment Committee shall be 
elected for the same term and at the same time and place 
as the officers. All other committees shall be appointed 
by the Appointment Conmiittee. There shall be at least 
one member of the Oswego High School faculty on each 
committee elected or appointed. 

It shall be the duty of the Program Committee to pre- 
pare a program for each regular meeting; and for any 
other meeting or occasion when so directed by the club. 
The program for each regular meeting shall include a de- 
bate. The Program Committee shall decide on the topic 
for debate and who shall take part on each side. They 
shall also appoint the judges. 

It shall be the duty of the Membership Committee to 
attempt to secure desirable members for the club. 

Article VI. — Meetings 

There shall be a regular meeting the first school Monday 
of each month, except Se])tember and June, at 7:30 
o'clock P. M., in the Oswego High School building. 
Special meetings may be called, at such times as seem 
necessary, by the president or ujwn the written request 
of five members. All legal meetings shall be held in the 
Oswego High School })uil(ling. No meeting, either regular 
or special, can be hold unless the critic, or some member 
of the Oswego High School faculty api)ointed by the 
critic, is present. 

Article VII. — Amendments 

Proposed amendments to this constitution must be pre- 
sented in writing at a regular meeting, read by the secrc- 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 33 

tary at such meeting and left on the table until the next 
regular meeting, when a vote on such amendment or 
amendments shall be taken. If two-thirds of the members 
present at the regular meeting following the meeting when 
the amendment or amendments were proposed vote in 
favor of such amendment or amendments, this con- 
stitution shall be so amended. 

BY-LAWS 

Article I. — Quorum 

Three-fifths of the Active members shall constitute a 
quorum. 

Article II. — Rights and Duties of Members 

Active members shall have all the rights and be subject 
to all the duties customary in parliamentary bodies. 
Honorary members shall have all the rights of active 
members except the right to vote. An honorary mem- 
ber can not be required to take part on any program. 

Article III. — Fees and Dues 

In addition to the entrance fee of twenty-five cents, 
each active member shall be required to pay a fee of ten 
cents before the end of the tenth week of each term. 
Special dues may be levied on all active members by a 
two-thirds vote at a regular meeting. 

Article IV. — Authority in Disputes 

All disputes shall be settled by the critic, whose author- 
ity shall be "Neely's Parliamentary Practice." 

Article F. — Amendments 

Proposed amendments to these by-laws must be pre- 
sented in writing at a regular meeting, read by the secre- 
tary at such meeting and left on the table until the next 



34 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Boole 3 ] 

regular meeting, when a vote on such amendments shall 
be taken. If a majority of the members present at the 
meeting following the meeting when the amendments 
were proposed vote in favor of such amendments, these 
by-laws shall be so amended. 

Article VL— Order of Business 

At every regular meeting the following order of business 
shall be followed: 
I. Roll call. 
II. Reading minutes of preceding meetmg. 

III. Receipt of bills, communications, etc. 

IV. Report of standing committees. 
V. Report of special committees. 

VI. Unfinished business. 
VII. New business. 
VIII. Program. 
IX. Critic's report. 
X. Adjournment.' 
By a two-thirds vote at any regular meeting the order of 
business may be set aside for that meeting." ^ 

—Frederick Leighton: S^tudent^' Hand Book of Parliamcntanj Law. 

The teacher will allow free discussion as long as it 
seems serious and arginuents are worthy. At the 
close of the discussion he will put the matter to vote, 
and the majority will rule. 
Judgr the Before you go on to the actual organization— or to 
another toi)ic— sto]) for a few minutes to decide who 
made the most effective talks, the talks that had 
most influence upon the voting. What made those 
talks effective.^ 

Now, if you are to have the elul), proceed to the 

'Hy iHT.nissicn (.f FmUri. k IamkIiIoh. Trin. ipMl of ll.o HIkIi ^'I'ool. 
Oswego, N. \. 



Prcsftd 

your 

arijumeniii 



ar^jumiuts 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 35 

organization. The most orderly and economical way Study 



to manage such matters is to confine talk to the dis- 



togethery 
drama- 

cussion of definite motions which have been made and ^'^^^^^ ^^^ 

. . explana- 

seconded. This prevents wandermg irom any pomt Hon 
begun until that point is clearly settled. 

The procedure is as follows : 

Any member of the group — e. g., William Holmes 
— rises at his seat and says, "Mr. Chairman." 
("Madam Chairman," if a lady is presiding.) Then he 
must wait until the chairman gives him permission to 
speak by calling his name — "Mr. Holmes." He now 
"has the floor" — that is, the right to speak until he 
has finished. If he expects to speak at length, he 
goes forward and faces the audience. He is not to 
be interrupted except under unusual conditions. 

He begins, if there is no motion under considera- 
tion, by saying, "I move that ," stating the point 

he wishes to have brought to a vote. After this the 
strictly correct thing is for him to wait until some one 
else "seconds" the motion. This is done by saying, 
without rising, "Mr. Chairman, I second the mo- 
tion." If no one seconds the motion the first mem- 
ber is clearly the only one in favor of it and no vote 
is required. When the motion has been seconded the 
maker of the motion again addresses the chairman 
and is given permission to make the first speech in 
the discussion. In many organizations a speaker is 
allowed to explain his point before making his mo- 
tion, but he is not expected to talk at any length and 
take his seat without making the motion. After the 
mover of the motion is seated any other member may 
obtain permission to continue the discussion. 



36 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Boole 3 ] 

\Mien the chairman thinks the group is about 
ready to vote, he asks, "Are you ready for the ques- 
tion?" Those who wish to vote at once simply 
answer, "Question!" If the response seems general, 
the chairman puts the motion to a vote. Standing 
up, he says, "The question is upon the adoption of 

Mr. Holmes's motion that ." If he thinks the 

vote w411 not be close, he may say, "Those in favor 
of the motion as stated say Aye. Opposed, No.'' 
If the result is doubtful, he asks the voters to raise 
their hands or stand while he counts them. Then he 
announces that the motion is carried or lost. 

When an officer is to be nominated and elected the 

chairman says, "Nominations for are in 

order." To make a nomination it is necessary only 
to be "recognized" by the chairman and to say, "I 

nominate ." Nominations do not need to be 

seconded. Voting may be by show of hands or by 
ballot, as the group wishes. 

9 

In Strange Surroundings 

Fimiynur Imagine yourself or one of your classmates set 
^'■'^'"" down in Philadelphia, New York, or Boston, in the 
days of the American Revolution. He cannot lose 
his memory of himself or of history that has been 
made since those days; he cannot lose his modern 
view of the rights and relations of men; even his 
clothes ivniain unchanged. What impression does 
he make ni)()n those colonial ladies and gentlemen? 
What do they say to and about him? What does he 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 37 

think of their opinions, of their manners, of their 
clothes, houses, and transportation? According to 
his tastes and training he may become a follower of 
Washington, a disciple of Benjamin Franklin, a sup- 
porter of Thomas Jefferson, or a friend of Dolly 
Madison. Certainly it would not be an uneventful 
day in his life or an unimportant occurrence in the 
lives of the colonials. If such a thing could really 
happen, one would make haste to write one's im- 
pressions of it. 

If the Revolutionary scene does not appeal to your 
imagination, perhaps the time of Lincoln, of the Ply- 
mouth settlement, of Shakespeare, of Julius Caesar, 
or of Homer will appeal. You may prefer to keep 
to the present time and imagine yourself in some 
little visited corner of a foreign country — some rural 
section of Russia, the heart of Africa, or Thibet. 

Take about five minutes of class time to discuss the Study 
possibilities, and then begin to plan your own story. 
If you do your work with care and enthusiasm, the re- 
sult may be quite as readable and quite as valuable 
as the historical novels. Do not hesitate to use his- 
tories and other reference books if you need them to 
clear up hazy ideas. 

When you have a number of ideas jotted down, try Write 
to plan the whole story so that it will produce a sin- 
gle effect — e. g., of surprise, of admiration, of ap- 
preciation of our own privileges, or of amusement. 
As you polish your narrative before the final copy, 
try to choose every detail and word every sentence, 
to contribute to this impression. Then make an at- 
tractive copy of it. 



38 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

If you finish before the others, read abo\it the two 
Russian peasants who transplanted themselves from 
darkest Russia to free America and see how it was 
made clear to them that America was really the land 
of their dreams. 

They came to Bobruisk. Holding hands they walked 
into it late one afternoon. They were eighty-nine versts 
from the little village on the Beresina, but they were not 
afraid. The Dream spoke to Ivan and his big hand held 
the hand of Anna. The railway ran through Bobruisk, 
and that evening they stood and looked at the shining rails 
that went out in the moonlight like silver tongs reaching 
out for a low-hanging star. 

And they came face to face with the Terror that even- 
ing, the Terror that had helped the spring breezes and 
the sunshine to plant the Dream in the brain of Big Ivan. 
They were walking down a dark side street when they 
saw a score of men and women creep from the door of a 
squat, unpainted building. The little group remained on 
the sidewalk for a minute as if uncertain about the way 
they should go. Then from the corner of the street came 
a cry of "Police!" and the twenty i)edestrians ran in differ- 
ent directions. 

It was no false alarm. Mounted i)o]ic'e cliarged down 
the dark thoroughfare swinging their swords as they rode 
at the scurrying men and women wlio raced for shelter. 
Big Ivan dragged Anna into a doorway, and toward their 
hiding-phuv ran a young })oy wlio, like themselves, had no 
connection with the group and who merely desired to get 
out of harm's way till the storm was over. 

The boy was not quick enough to escape tlie charge. 
A trooper pursued him, overtook liim before lie reached 
the sidewalk, and knocked him down with a (juiek stroke 
given with I lie flat of his l)hi(le. His horse struck the 
boy with one of liis lioofs as tlie lad stumbled on his face. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 39 

Big Ivan growled like an angry bear and sprang from 
his hiding-place. The trooper's horse had carried him 
on to the sidewalk and Ivan seized the bridle and flung 
the animal on its haunches. The policeman leaned for- 
ward to strike at the giant, but Ivan of the Bridge gripped 
the left leg of the horseman and tore him from his saddle. 

The horse galloped off, leaving its rider lying beside 
the moaning boy who was unlucky enough to be in a street 
where a score of students were holding a meeting. 

Anna dragged Ivan back into the passageway. More 
police were charging down the street, and their position 
was a dangerous one. 

*'Ivan!" she cried, "Ivan! Remember the Dream! 
America ! Come this way ! Quick ! " 

With strong hands she dragged him down a passage. It 
opened into a narrow lane and, holding each other's hands, 
they hurried toward the place where they had been lodging. 
From far off came screams and hoarse orders, curses and 
the sound of galloping hoofs. The Terror was abroad. 

Like two simple children they walked along the streets 
of the City of Wonder. What a contrast it was to the 
gray, stupid towns where the Terror waited to spring upon 
the cowed people. In Bobruisk, Minsk, Vilna, and Libau 
the people were sullen and afraid, they walked in dread; 
but in the City of Wonder beside the glorious Hudson 
every person seemed happy and contented. 

They lost their way but they walked on, looking at 
the wonderful shop windows, the roaring elevated trains, 
and the huge skyscrapers. Hours afterward they found 
themselves in Fifth Avenue near Thirty-third Street, and 
there a miracle happened to the two Russian immigrants. 
It was a big miracle inasmuch as it proved the Dream a 
truth, a great truth. 

Ivan and Anna attempted to cross the avenue, but they 
became confused in the snarl of traffic. They dodged 
backward and forward as the stream of automobiles swept 



40 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

by them. Anna screamed, and in response to her scream a 
traffic pohceman, resplendent in a new uniform, rushed 
to her side. He took the arm of Anna and flung up a com- 
manding hand. The charging autos halted. For five 
blocks north and south they jammed on the brakes when 
the unexpected interruption occurred, and Big Ivan 
gasped. 

"Don't be flurried, little woman," said the cop. "Sure, 
I can tame 'em by liftin' me hand." 

Anna didn't understand what he said, but she knew 
it was something nice by the manner in which his Irish 
eyes smiled down upon her. And in front of the waiting 
automobiles he led her with the same care that he would 
give to a duchess, while Ivan, carrying the big trunk, fol- 
lowed them, wondering much. Ivan's mind went back to 
Bobruisk on the night the Terror was abroad. 

The policeman led Anna to the sidewalk, patted Ivan 
good-naturedly upon the shoulder, and then with a sharp 
whistle unloosed the waiting stream of cars that had been 
held up so that two Russian immigrants could cross the 
avenue. 

Big Ivan of the Bridge took the trunk from his head 
and put it on the ground. He reached out his arms and 
folded Anna in a great embrace. His eyes were wet. 

"The Dream is true!" he cried. *'Did you see, Anna.^ 
We are as good as they. This is the land where a muzhik 
is as good as a prince of the blood!" 

— James Filvnxis Dwyer: "The Citizen." ' 

You will doubtless want to take a period or part of 

stories a period to hear some of the class compositions read, 

and ])r()l)al)ly some <Mghth-gra(le pupils or another 

ninth grade would like to hear them, too, if the matter 

can be arranged. 

After the compositions have been read to an audi- 



Judijc the 



Used hy arraiiKcinent with the author. 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 41 

ence, your teacher will give you a scale rating on your 
work, marking the best papers 1 and the poorest ones 
5. This will enable you to discover just how your 
work in composition compares with that of other 
pupils in your grade. Study your paper when it is 
returned to you to see why you are rated where you 
are, and try to raise your work at least one step the 
next time you have a paper to write. 

One of Mark Twain's cleverest stories is A Con- Read at 
necticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court. Can you ^^**"^^ 
imagine the poor fellow going forth in armor and 
much bothered by a fly that gets inside his coat of 
mail.f^ He marries a girl of the realm, too. Hearing 
him sing a ridiculous song called "Hello, Central," 
she chooses Hello Central as a pretty name for their 
baby. His American political and social ideals 
contrast sharply with those of Arthur's courtiers, 
and his modern scientific knowledge enables him to 
surpass even the great magician Merlin. If you 
want some good laughs, with ideas behind them, 
read this yarn. 



CHAPTER n 

10 

Effective Study 

The good workman looks well to his tools and keeps 
them in as good condition as possible; he knows he 
cannot work rapidly or nicely with dull or nicked 
tools. The pupiFs tool is his method of stud3\ 
Unless it is in good order his best efforts cannot 
produce really satisfactory results. 

How do you study? Have you ever thought about 
it.^ Have you any reason to think yours is the best 
way? Do you know how other people study? 
Have you ever tried different methods? 

It will be helpful to talk these things over with 
your classmates. As a matter of economy of time 
and effort choose some one point to make in the dis- 
cussion. Presently you will be allowed time to write 
a brief exphmation of it. 

Read the foHowing explanation of a way to study 
literature, to get the method it recommends. It is 
somewliat longer than yours is likely to be because it 
deals in a general way with a whole field. You 
are more likely to present something like the first 
j)aragraph, or the second, or a more detailed account 
of how to use the dictionary or a card catalog, or 
how to take notes, memorize a poem, or attack 

42 , 1 Book S 1 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 43 

a problem in mathematics. If you attempt to tell 
how to study history, as you very properly may, 
to make what you do really clear to others who pro- 
ceed differently you will need as long an explanation 
as the one given here. 

My Way of Studying a Difficult Piece of Literature 

My chief purpose when I read a piece of literature is 
to see, hear, and feel just what the author saw, heard, 
and felt. The author has recorded some real incident, 
some dream, some thought, which seemed to him valuable, 
in order that others might have it also. I can profit most 
by repeating his experience as exactly as possible. Later 
I may draw my own conclusions from the experience, 
sometimes conclusions very different from the author's; 
but while I am reading the piece the first time, I try to 
surrender myself to his guidance, and to repeat his physical 
and mental experiences. Whatever will help me to re- 
live the portion of life embodied in what I am reading, 
I wish to do; anything that will not help me to do so 
is for the time wholly undesirable. By all this I mean 
something more than merely understanding what the 
author has said; I mean also realizing it, and taking the 
same attitude toward it that he took. In other words, I 
wish not only to understand clearly, but also to imagine 
vividly, and to feel as the author did. 

Of course, for many pieces of literature, particularly 
story literature, one reading enables me to do this. In 
studying a poem or an essay, however, I have to follow a 
more intensive procedure. 

In my first rapid reading I do not stop over new words 
or difficult expressions, if I can keep the general meaning 
clear. My first business is to get my bearings, to discover 
the general lie of the land. To know these words and to 
have these expressions untangled would in themselves be 
helpful, but stopping to use the dictionary or to analyze 



44 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

an unusual sentence form would take me completely off 
the track of my author; such activities were no part of 
the activity I am attempting to share. There will come a 
time for mastering these details in order to relive this bit 
of another's life more completely and exactly, but that 
time is not the first reading. Now I am trying to get the 
general drift, the large outlines. As I study details later 
I must interpret them as parts of the whole general im- 
pression gained on the first reading, for they have meaning 
only as parts of the whole. On the first reading, then, I 
permit myself to be borne along by the main current of 
the author's thought and feeling, disregarding side cur- 
rents and minor eddies. 

After this I return to details. I give attention to new 
words, allusions, puzzling expressions of all sorts. I use 
the dictionary, the encyclopedia. Brewer's Bandhooh, and 
even grammar, to clear away the difficulties. I look 
up a new word and try the various meanings given until I 
find one which seems to fit well into the sentence and 
paragraph in hand. I look up an allusion in the hope 
that I shall understand more exactly or at least feel more 
truly what the author has told. I analyze sentences, when 
necessary, to determine their meaning. Since my im- 
agination is naturally not very lively, I stop to make more 
definite some pictures which at the first reading were hazy. 
All this time, though I have my eye upon the whole and 
am guided in my study by tlie general impression gained 
in the first reading, I am directly concerned with de- 
tails. 

Finally, when all the difficulties are mastered, I return 
to the whole. Again I read rapidly, but with more thor- 
ough comprehension. As l)efore, I am seeking a general 
impression, but this time details originally overlooked or 
inisun(l(Ts(()0(l have their full and correct i)art in the gen- 
eral elFecf. Once again I am lost in the author, reliving 
his life in imagination, l)ut now seeing, hearing, thinking, 
feeling, more richly and more trulv as he did. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 45 

Now consider each paragraph in "My Way of Discus 
Studying a Difficult Piece of Literature." Deter- 
mine first whether it makes a single point. If it 
does, what is that point .^ Is everything in the para- 
graph turned toward that point — in other words, is 
the paragraph really focused on that point .^^ How is 
this managed.^ Is the point stated directly any- 
where .^^ Why is this a good place to put the state- 
ment? Does it help the reader.'^ Do you suppose it 
helped the writer? 

Such a statement of the idea of a paragraph in study 
a single sentence is called a topic sentence. It is 
usually placed at the beginning of a paragraph. To 
the reader it is useful not only because it sums up 
the paragraph, but also because it gives him at the 
beginning a point of view from which to look upon 
all that follows. To the writer it is useful in that it 
keeps clearly before him the main idea which he is 
trying to set forth. For both writer and reader it is 
perhaps the most effective means of focusing a para- 
graph. 

Frequently paragraphs close with a statement of 
the whole point — a summary sentence. It may be 
used with or without an initial topic sentence. Its 
purpose is to draw all the details together and so 
leave a clear impression upon the reader or hearer. 

Topic and summarizing sentences, though useful, 
are not always necessary or even desirable. They 
are more common in explanations and descriptions 
than in stories. Some clear explanations are without 
them; for instance, the second paragraph before this 
one has no topic sentence and only a doubtful sum- 



46 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

marizing one. Do not try to use topic sentences for 
their own sake, but make use of them in explanations 
or stories whenever you can by so doing make your 
statement clearer or more forceful. The important 
thing is to choose one point for your paragraph and 
to be sure that every word in that paragraph con- 
tributes to that point. 

Now consider afresh the point regarding study 
which you wish to make. Write out on scratch 
paper (not carelessly, however) the paragraph pre- 
senting this point. If you have not used a topic 
sentence, recast the paragraph to include one; then 
decide for yourself whether this improves the state- 
ment. Revise and copy the paragraph which you 
think is the more effective. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
article carefully. After you have read it, ivy to list 
in very brief form three general directions for study 
which it offers. 



Correct habits of study are so essential to successful 
achievemont, both in school and out, that the formation 
of such habits is worth the earnest endeavor both of pupils 
and of teachers. True study is a thinking process which 
goes on when the mind is trying to find the answer to some 
pr()l)lem, to discover some new idea, or to understand the 
thought of another person upon a given subject. Some 
of us will always be able to study better than others, be- 
cause some of us have higher mental powers than others; 
but even the poorest student may do nnicli to increase his 
al)ilily to study hy ()l)servin^ a few simple rules until they 
become habitual. 

For instance, every student should know before he be 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 47 

gins exactly what it is that he is going to study. When a 
pupil can answer clearly his own question, "What am I 
trying to find out in this lesson? ' or "What am I trying 
to do?" the battle is half won. Most students who fail 
to get meaning from what they study do so because they 
don't know at the outset what they want to learn. They 
have only a vague idea that if they read something they 
will learn one thing or another. 

Again, it is easy for any pupil to hold himself to a time 
limit — to try to decide about how much time he should 
spend on a lesson, and then by beginning promptly and 
working steadily keep himself approximately within his 
time allowance. He will be the more able to do this if 
he collects all necessary materials — books, well-sharpened 
pencils, paper, etc. — before he starts to work. 

Lastly, any pupil can make a determined effort to hold 
his mind upon the subject he is studying. We commonly 
call the power to do this " concentration, " and we particu- 
larly admire the man or woman who has it. Concentra- 
tion is partly a matter of exercising one's will. Day 
dreaming and mind wandering can be checked by deter- 
mined effort. A runner who leaves the course every little 
while will never win a race. The student is a racer with a 
personal prize in view. He is trying to acquire knowledge, 
but in the very act of doing that, he may acquire the 
valuable habit of "keeping on the track." 

Your teacher will see that all who have similar "^^^9^ ^^e 
points read their papers in succession and then will graphs 
allow time for discussion of the paragraphs. Perhaps 
some of the best points made can be combined into 
an article worth duplicating and preserving. All this 
will be of little use to you, however, unless you at 
least experiment with the procedures others recom- 
mend. 



48 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

11 

Practice 

By this time, it is to be hoped, you see the value of 
well-composed paragraphs, each one focused upon a 
particular point. Ability to compose such para- 
graphs comes, however, only through practice. An 
easy step in the mastery of this art is to take topic 
sentences already formed and expand them. Then, 
when you once have caught the trick, you can use it 
to make clearer the ideas you wish to express. The 
exercise suggested in this section is partly like the 
pitcher's practice without any batter, and partly like 
the party "stunt" of writing poems upon assigned 
topics. The sentences offered as centers about 
which to build paragraphs will call up in your mind 
ideas very different from those aroused in the minds 
of your classmates. You can construct a narrative, 
a description, or an explanation by choosing a sen- 
tence suited to your taste; in fact, some of these 
sentences can be treated in all three ways. Though 
this is admittedly only practice, you will find com- 
parison of your product with those of your friends far 
from uninteresting. If your teacher thinks best, you 
may add other sentences to the list before the writ- 
ing begins. 

Choose one sentence from the list and write a para- 
graph in which this sentence appears as the topic 
sentence. 

1. He seemed strangely emharrassod. 

2. The decorations at Mabel's party were unique indeed. 



[ Booh S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 49 

3. Yesterday I had my narrowest escape from serious 

injury. 

4. The is the best car of its price. 

5. The play (or picnic, or party) was a great success. 

6. The is my favorite flower. 

7 is not so good as it used to be. 

8. I think Frances deserved all she got. 

9. Honesty is the best policy. 

10. We have many reasons to be proud of our country. 

When you have worked over your paragraph until 
it seems satisfactory, and have made a neat copy of 
it, use whatever time is left to read the following 
editorial. After j^ou have read it as a whole, reread 
it paragraph by paragraph, listing topic sentences. 
You may use the blackboard if there is room. At 
the close of the lesson your teacher will read the topic 
sentences from the editorial so that you may check 
your work. 

Winter Allies 

Little birds that eat bugs and big birds that eat mice 
and moles have long been established as firm friends of 
the farmer. Insectivorous birds alone save countless mil- 
lions of dollars. Without them bug life would be easier 
and human life more precarious. Most of the work of 
the insectivorous birds is done in the spring and summer, 
when the bugs are many and bold. Some woodpeckers 
and a few others keep up the work in the winter by seeking 
out hidden larvae. But the quiescent bug-life of the win- 
ter months is not greatly disturbed. 

Our birds are doing us quite another service in the 
winter. When the insectivorous birds are few the seed- 
eating birds are comparatively numerous, and all winter 



50 ENGLISH IN SER\7CE [ Book 3 ] 

long they are sustaining themselves by devouring the seeds 
of tall and lowly weeds. The bob white is a great eater of 
weed seeds, and there are two species, the junco and the 
tree sparrow, which come to us in large numbers from the 
north at the beginning of winter and depart northward 
at the beginning of spring and spend all the winter months 
reaping the weed harvest. 

According to a report of the United States Department 
of Agriculture the work of the seed-eating birds last winter 
saved the farmers of Ohio about $3,000,000. This rep- 
resents the enhanced value of crops due to the destruc- 
tion of weed seeds. This winter our busy little allies will 
probably duplicate their good work. A flock of tree 
sparrows or juncoes or a covey of bob whites is very inter- 
esting when it is noted in the snowy fields. It is even 
more interesting when one understands that each bird 
in seeking to satisfy its own hunger is working to make 
the earth more productive for human requirements. 

— Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

The class may select an impartial board of five 
judges. The remaining pupils should be divided 
into two teams. Pupil No. 1 of Team A will read 
his paragraph. If the topic is adequately developed 
the judges will give the j)upil one point. If every 
sentence in the paragraj)h properly belongs in it, add- 
ing to the main thought, the judges will award a 
second point. If the ])aragraph is inadequate or con- 
tains any sentence that does not strengthen it, the cor- 
responding point will he refused. Pupil No. 1 of 
Team 15 will then read his j)aragraph. The team 
having the hirger luiniluM' of points may post its 
work on the bulletin honrd. The t(\im having the 
smaller tuimber of points m;iy hand (he work to 
the teacher. 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 51 

12 

Adopting a Policy 

Do you have a school paper? 

If you have, are you satisfied with it? Could it be ^l^^i^^^ 
improved? What sort of matter should it contain? 
Is the subscription list as large as it can be? Does 
the paper carry advertising? Could it? What ad- 
vertising could be obtained? Is your class ade- 
quately represented in the news and literary columns? 

If you do not have a school paper, do you want one? 
Why not have it? If not a school paper, a room 
paper? 

You will have an opportunity to speak not less 
than one minute nor more than two in support of the 
policy which you favor. You are required to talk 
at least a minute, because that will compel you to 
think about the question long enough to consider 
intelligently the arguments made by others. You 
are forbidden to talk longer than two minutes lest 
someone else be deprived of his chance to speak. 

Since your time is so short, you had better confine Study 
yourself to one point in support of your program. If 
you attempt to present more, you cannot support 
them well enough to convince your fellows. One point 
really made clear and backed up by evidence will in- 
fluence the decision more than half a dozen merely 
stated. 

Plan your talk to be as effective as possible. Un- 
less the circumstances are unusual, you will do well 
to state your point first, in order that all may follow 



52 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

your thought easily. It may be wise to state it 
again at the end, in order to leave a clear impression 
of it in the minds of the class. 

This last statement will be most effective if it is 
introduced informally; try to avoid the stiff, stilted 

*' Therefore I think that because " Let your 

final sentence grow out of the one before it just as 
your second grows out of the first. (Examine the 
summary sentences in "My Way of Studying a Diffi- 
cult Piece of Literature" and any others that you 
can find.) It might be a good plan to write out 
your closing sentence and when you are sure that 
you have a satisfactory one to memorize it. 

When your talk is well prepared, spend the remain- 
ing time examining one of the daily newspapers on 
the teacher's desk. Copy on the blackboard or on 
paper : 

(1) Its policy as defined over the editorial column 

if it has a defined policy. 

(2) A well-worded heading. 

(3) A sentence containing a word n(^w to your vo- 

cabulary. Underscore the word and be 
able to explain its meaning in the sentence. 

(4) A convincing statement from an editorial. 

(5) A smart but not too slangy sentence or slogan 

from the sporting page. 
Give your It will be Well to appoint a cliairman and secretary 
for this meeting. The chairman will accord per- 
mission to speak to all who take the fioor, but 
speakers will be strictly limited to two minutes. The 
secretary will r(M?ord the njime of each s])eaker and a 
brief statement of his argument. The class may 



opinio lui 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



53 



opinions 



adopt some policy with regard to a class or school 
paper at the end of the meeting. 

Since every pupil will have an opportunity to give ^'^^^f ^^e 
a two-minute speech, this will be a good time for 
your teacher to record his judgments concerning 
the individual talks. You may prepare for his use 
in commenting upon your work a slip (4x5 inches) 
like the following: 



Name Date 


Argument 


Vocabulary 


Grammar 


Enunciation 











Your teacher will write in each column definite 
points of favorable or unfavorable criticism and at 
the close of the class will return the slips. When 
you receive yours, study it carefully to discover where 
improvement is needed. Ask your teacher to ex- 
plain any points of criticism that you do not under- 
stand. He will be anxious to help you gain the power 
of effective speech. 

If there is time, all whose opinion was changed by 
the discussion will be asked to stand. They may tell 
whose talk influenced them most. 



54 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

13 

Would You Like to Try This? 

Read A class of ninth-grade boys and girls decided to 

publish a class paper. They began their work by 
making a study of one of the great dailies in their 
city. They read the newspaper in class, studying 
the methods involved in dealing with news items, 
editorials, special-feature pages, sports, advertise- 
ments, and cartoons. They examined headings, com- 
pared the diction of one kind of writing with that 
of another, found words and phrases worth adding 
to one's personal vocabulary, made selections of de- 
scriptive writing where scenes were vividly portrayed 
in living language, and of argumentative writing 
where the editor presented his views convincingly. 

The study of the newspaper was so fascinating 
that the class began to investigate the history of 
newspapers in this country, from the days of Poor 
Richard's Almanac to the present time. They 
studied changes in the production of the newspaper 
from hand comjwsition and hand press work to that 
great mechanical triumph of modern times, the Hoe 
printing-])ress. 

Then the class looked into the biographies of 
great American editors — Franklin, Garrison, Dana, 
Willijun Gullen Bryant, Horace Greeley — and also 
IcMrncd soniclhing of the men who are making them- 
selves famous in the news|)aper world of to-day — 
WiUiain Jennings Bryan of the Commoner, Lord 
NorthcliflV of \]w I^ondon Times, Frank I. Cobb of 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 55 

the New York World, Macdonald of the Toronto 
Globe, Carl Sandburg of the Chicago Daily News. 
Local editors received attention, and their attitude 
upon public questions as reflected in editorial columns 
was considered. 

Best of all, the class visited a newspaper building, 
talked with some of the reporters, saw the operation 
of linotype and monotype machines, discovered how 
pictures are reproduced and how advertisements are 
set up, and ended the visit in the press room where 
the giant presses were turning out hundreds of copies 
of the daily per minute, printed, pasted, and folded 
for distribution. 

After these preliminary studies the class set to 
work upon its own little newspaper, planning the 
material to be included, choosing an editorial staff, 
and submitting articles for publication. 

The pupils decided that they would adopt the 
policy of advertising only school activities and that 
they would refrain from soliciting paid advertise- 
ments. In consequence of this policy the class found 
itself without funds, and there was no print shop in 
the school. Investigation showed that to cover the 
actual cost of printing it would be necessary to 
sell the paper at thirty cents a copy, a price entirely 
out of proportion to its value to others. It was 
therefore decided that the paper should be mimeo- 
graphed. Two boys and a girl who were familiar 
with the typewriter contributed the typing of the 
stencils, the school secretary allowing the use of her 
machine. One hundred copies of the paper were 
run off and sold at two cents a copy. This covered 



56 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

the cost of the paper and the stencils. The class en- 
joyed its own work on the paper so much that it 
planned to issue three numbers in the term. 
Discuss What do you think of this whole undertaking.?^ 

Does it sound interesting.? If you tried it could you 
find the material for the studies indicated .^^ Is there 
a newspaper plant in your town that you would be 
allowed to visit during working hours .^^ 

Do you approve of the decision of the class with 
regard to advertising.^^ Can you suggest other plans 
for printing the paper .^^ 

If you decide to undertake a similar newspaper 
project, spend the remainder of the period making 
an outline for the preliminary studies and assigning 
topics for oral and written work. Don't begin too 
soon at the newspaper itself. Every one must be 
enthusiastic and interested in the general topic of 
newspapers before the class undertakes to make one. 
The editorial staff need not be elected for at least 
two weeks. 

14 

Prominent Personalities 

Find your A favoritc pastimc in the lower grades of many 
^^^ ^"^ schools is for each pupil to try to describe some class- 
mate so well that the others can guess whom he 
means. This is rather easy, because choice is limited 
to those present and tlie audience can look about and 
discover some distinguishing mark — e. g., a green 
hair ribbon or a plaid dress — mentioned in the de- 
scription. You will enjoy the game quite as much 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 57 

as the younger ones if you change the rules a little. 
Instead of choosing members of your class to de- 
scribe, make a cooperative list of the names of great 
people in the world of affairs today, including your 
local celebrities. Then notify your teacher secretly 
of your choice from the list. Your teacher will pre- 
vent too many duplications in choice, although it 
would not be a serious matter if in certain instances 
two pupils should choose the same person. After you 
have made your choice you are to write a paragraph 
telling what this leader has accomplished or describing 
his dominant trait of character. Do not mention 
his name as you write. When you read your para- 
graph aloud your audience will guess who is meant. 

This game requires library study. In most cases 
recent magazines will be helpful, especially those de- 
voting attention to current events. Read carefully, 
taking notes if you wish. Be sure to indicate the 
source of information when you copy material verba- 
tim. 

Your teacher will allow time in class for the writing 
of your paragraph. Remember that it is to be just 
one paragraph, and marshal your important facts 
after you have decided just what topic in connection 
with your famous personage you will present. 

When you have written a paragraph that you con- 
sider excellent prepare an alphabetical list of the 
names of the pupils in your class. This will be used 
in the guessing contest. Arrange your list to show 
the following columns: (1) Pupils' Names, (2) Im- 
portant Personages, (3) Rating. Only the first 
column can be filled out now. Perhaps you will 



Study 



Write 



58 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

have time to make an extra copy for some pupil who 
has not completed his paragraph so rapidly. 
Judge the Every pupil, taking his turn in alphabetical order, 
^gmp'hs will read his paragraph. After a paragraph has been 
read, write in the proper column your guess as to the 
character treated, and in the last column give the 
paragraph a rating for quality (E, excellent; S, 
satisfactory; F, fair). AVhen all the paragraphs 
have been read the correct list of characters will be 
announced and you may check your own list. It 
will be interesting to see who makes the highest score 
in the guessing contest. 

If the time permits, ratings may be tabulated for 
each paragraph by a showing of hands; if not, the 
ratings may be rapidly circulated so that each mem- 
ber of the class may have an opportunity to see how 
several people rated his paragraph. 

15 

Setting up Standards 

Find your What is good English.^ Try to forget all about 
problem textbooks and think how you judge a talk that you 
hear in the assembly, a story that someone tells at a 
party, or an article that you read in a magazine. 
Do you judge primarily upon the correctness of its 
grammar, or upon the observance of any principles 
that you have learned in school.^ IVIay a speaker, 
story teller, or writer have good ideas and yet not 
make a good speech, tell a good story, or write a good 
article? 
Study Think this over and see if after five minutes of 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 59 

thought you can be ready to state one quality which 
is characteristic of good English. In order to make 
yourself clearly understood you should supplement 
the simple statement with some explanation or illus- 
tration. If your teacher considers it desirable, a 
sentence limit for the talks may be imposed; that is, 
each speaker may be required to present his point 
in not more than five sentences. This necessitates 
careful selection of details to emphasize the main idea. 

While your classmates are reciting, jot down the Work 
point each one makes. If you find yourself unable to Uvdy^' 
state it in a single sentence, ask the speaker to do it 
for the class. In most cases you will find that the 
first sentence he has used is such a statement. 

When all the points have been contributed work 
out on the blackboard an outline or summary of the 
factors which are present in good English. You 
will probably have to make two main divisions in the 
outline : 

I. Points of excellence in oral English 

II. Points of excellence in written English 
This outline will be worth copying for future refer- 
ence. The class may decide from it what one or 
two important qualities of good English will be con- 
sidered objects of special effort in writing and speak- 
ing each month. 

16 

Pooling Information 

Where among the departments of study is your par- Find your 
ticular interest? Are you most interested in science, '^^^ ^"^ 



60 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 



business, or art; or in a yet different field of knowl- 
edge? Whatever your special bent, you know facts 
and principles which some of your classmates do not. 
Choose one such fact or principle and explain it in 
class. Chiefly as a matter of suggestion, just to start 
your mind working, several such ideas are given 
here in statements which might become topic sen- 
tences of explanations ; you are not required to choose 
from this short list. 



Science: 1. The stars are all suns, many of them larger 
than ours. 

2. The planets arc all cold, dark bodies re- 

volving about our sun. 

3. Shooting stars, or meteors, are not really 

stars at all. 

4. We always see the same side of the moon. 

5. By means of levers a small power may be 

made to move a great weight. 

6. All matter, even solid objects, is supposed 

to be composed of very small particles 
constantly in motion at high speed. 

Business : 7. The scarcer an article is, the higher its price. 

8. An increase in the price of any article is 

usually followed hy an increase in the 
production of it. 

9. Perishable commodities arc very uncertain 

in price. 

Industry: 10. The chief industry in our comnumity is 



Art: 



11. Crops on irrigated lands rarely fail. 

12. Much steel is now made by the open 

hearth j)r()cess. 

13. Almost any combination of complement- 

ary colors is pleasing. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 61 

14. The greatness of a picture does not lie in the 

story it tells. 

15. A good drawing is superior to a photograph in 

that it omits everything unessential. 

16. The apparent size of any object decreases in pro- 

portion to the increase of its distance from 
the observer. 

17. Successful posters are compositions of masses 

rather than of lines. 

Bring to school with you any reading material study 
you need in preparation for your talk. As soon as 
you have the necessary information in mind, think 
out sentence by sentence the explanation that you 
are going to give. Try to express your ideas ac- 
curately in your own words, not those of the books 
you have read. As the final step in your preparation 
make sure that your talk has those qualities of good 
English which your class decided to work for in the 
next few weeks. 

When you are fully prepared, you may like to try 
this while you are waiting for the others. Write 
down in a single sentence what each of these words 
and phrases means to you. Do not use the word or 
phrase in a sentence; explain its meaning. 

perspective 
insect metamorphosis 
trade union 
overhead expense 
iambic pentameter 
carboniferous age 

If you have absolutely no idea as to the meaning con- 
veyed by any expression on the list get as much help 



62 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 3 



Give your 
explana- 
tions 



Judge the 
explana- 
tions 



as you can from your dictionary or a reference book. 
Your teacher will hear the sentence explanations at 
the close of the class and assist you where information 
has not been readily obtained. 

Before any one recites, group yourselves in rows 
according to the nature of your topic. There will 
probably be a business group, an art group, a science 
group, etc. Let each group contribute a speaker in 
turn. If the period ends before all have had an op- 
portunity to speak, your teacher will give those who 
were not heard time during the next period to write 
out their explanations and post them on the bulletin 
board. 

Ask concerning each explanation : Did the speaker 
interest and inform us.'^ If so, what was the most 
commendable feature of his talk.^ If not, was his 
failure due to neglect of principles which the class 
has studied.^ 

It will doubtless be a good plan to have a vocabu- 
lary clerk at the blackboard listing in columns art 
words, business words, science words, etc. Your 
si)eakers will thus help you to become familiar with 
common technical expressions. 



Diftrusx 
in class 



17 

Advertising Your School 

The news of your school should appear in the local 
paper. Clearly presented, it would be interesting 
reading for the parents and patrons of the school. 
More important to you is the fact that such news 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 63 

read with interest by the people of the community 
would make it possible for your school to secure 
equipment and other privileges which now it some- 
times finds hard to get. Why shouldn't your school 
undertake to supply such material to the local press? 
There may be a paper — very probably there is — 
which would be glad to have you send in notes every 
week. If this isn't true, there is undoubtedly some 
larger daily which would welcome accounts of the 
really unusual things that happen in your school 
and of what are called "human interest" stories. 
Talk the matter over, and decide what you can do to 
bring your school into the limelight. 



18 

A Cartoon 

The word cartoon is used here to cover only those Find your 
drawings which have a point beyond the story they Problem 
tell ; it is not meant to include the mere funny pictures 
of the daily papers, or even most of the pictures in 
Punch, Judge, or Life. Most of our cartoons are 
upon political subjects, but a few have to do with 
business and social matters. Some of the cleverest 
cartoons utilize some historical or literary allusion 
well known to all to impress some present-day 
truth. 

Tomorrow each member of your class is to de- 
scribe and, so far as necessary, to explain a cartoon 
which has interested him. In some cases an expla- 
nation of the political situation, not of the cartoon it- 



64 ENGLISH IX SERMCE [Books] 

self, should precede the description; in other cases 
the description should be the very first thing. 
Study Prepare to describe and explain your cartoon. In 

the paragraph which attempts to present the picture, 
a topic sentence giving the general nature of the pic- 
ture is sure to be helpful — e. g.. This cartoon shows 
two little men quarreling as to who shall sit on a park 
bench large enough to hold six like them, or A tramp 
and a trim young business man are both kneeling be- 
fore a beautiful girl. Plan to stop as soon as you 
have made the significance of the cartoon clear. If 
you add details, even details in themselves perfectly 
proper to the description or explanation, after your 
audience has grasped the point, you will greatly 
weaken the impression of the whole. 

How many paragraphs will you need? ^Make a 
card outline for yourself indicating paragraph topics 
only. Practice giving your explanation from the 
outline. 

If you finish before the others, try this. Here is 
the Biblical version (Genesis, Chapter XI) of the 
ancient legend of the building of the tower of Babel. 

And the whole earth was of one language and one speech. 

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, 
that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they 
dwelt there. 

And they said to one another. Go to, let us make brick 
and burn thorn thoroughly. And they had brick for stone 
and sliinc had they for mortar. 

And thoy said. Go to, let us build us a city and a tower 
whose toj) may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a 
name, lest we l)e scattered abroad uix)n the face of the 
whole earth. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 65 

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower 
which the children of men builded. 

And the Lord said, Behold the people is one and they 
have all one language ; and this they begin to do : and now 
nothing will be restrained from them which they have 
imagined to do. 

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language 
that they may not understand one another's speech. 

So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon 
the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the 
Lord did there confound the language of all the earth; and 
from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the 
face of all the earth. 



The tower of Babel is always connected in our minds 
with confusion of speech among men. Can you plan 
a cartoon based upon the tower of Babel story which 
will emphasize the necessity of using correct English? 
Would this here and haven't got no be bricks for such a 
tower? If you have any artistic talent try to draw 
the cartoon suggested. If you can't draw well, 
write out a brief description of the details of the car- 
toon so that someone else may take your idea and 
draw the picture. 

As these cartoon talks will be quite instructive, Explain 
every one should have an opportunity to talk, even 2/owr 

1 cartoons 

though the lesson has to extend over several oral pe- 
riods. The cartoons should be circulated about the 
class and later the whole collection should be ex- 
hibited on the bulletin board. 

Each speaker may choose his own critic, who will re- Judge the 
cord both favorable and unfavorable criticism of the tions 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 3 



work. A critic's card prepared like the one here il 
lustrated is convenient : 



Speaker's Xa 



Dat( 



Topic 



Favorable Criticism 



L'nfavorable Criticism 



Critic's Name 



Your teacher will want to look over these cards after 
criticisms have been written upon tliem, but he will 
see that they finally reach the respective speakers. 



CHAPTER III 

19 

An Old Topic 

According to the writers of the jokes for the funny Find your 
pages of our newspapers and magazines the common- ^^^ ^^ 
est subject of conversation with people who are 
shghtly acquainted is the weather. The ridiculous- 
ness in the conversation lies not so much in the sub- 
ject as in the pointless things which people say about 
the subject. If you are corresponding with another 
class ^ in a different section of this country or abroad, 
you can, by taking the trouble to think over some of 
the memorable bits of weather which you have ex- 
perienced or heard of, furnish one very interesting 
section for your next letter. Grandfather's story 
of the tremendous blizzard of '75, or Uncle Henry's 
story of the "cyclone" on the Kansas Plains, or 
your own story of that terrible day when the corn 
dried up before the scorching south wind, would be 
very interesting, and possibly informing. The in- 
terest will depend largely upon your leaving out facts 
which have nothing to do with the weather, and tell- 

^Addresses of classes wishing to enter into such exchange of letters may 
be obtained from the Bureau of School Correspondence, Junior Red 
Cross, Washington, D. C. The bureau issues a pamphlet completely 
describing the plan. If this organization ever abandons the field, ad- 
dress the authors of this book in care of Doubleday, Page and Company. 
I Book 3 J 67 



in 



class 



68 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

ing what you have to tell in words which really call 
up pictures in the minds of your hearers. Though 
we say call up pictures, we really mean to include all 
sorts of images, as of hot and cold, of pressure, of 
touch, of dust upon the skin, of effort, or of weakness 
in the muscles. If will be best to write this descrip- 
tion, because the accuracy of wording that you de- 
sire is at first difficult to secure in free oral work. 
Discuss Here is an account of a summer storm that may be 

suggestive. Read it aloud, ignoring the words be- 
low the lines. Try to see the pictures it presents. 

A Wild Ride 
That was the wildest ride I have ever taken. In the 

worst 

afternoon father and I had started with old Fannie for a 
thirty-mile drive through unfamiliar country. After sup- 
per time a storm came up and the dark came early — not the 
ordinary darkness of a summer night, but an inky darkness 

black 

that made the water that ran off the buggy seem black. 
Vie were following one of those country roads that twist 

go 

over and through the hills and almost lose themselves in 
their own windings. This road we saw onlv bv the dazzling 

l.rigl.t 

flashes of the lightning. Wc talked littl(\ for tlie rush of 

noise 

the wind-driven rain, and the crashing of the thunder made 

sound 

speech difficult. Wlicn the storm was at its worst we 
found ourselves at a ford of a creek. Behind us we knew 
there was no .shelter; across the creek there miglit Ije. So 
we plunged boldly in — madly would perhaps be more ac- 

startcd fiKjlishly 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 69 

curate. We did not know that creek or we would not have 
attempted to cross it at such a moment. The splash of 

sound 

Fannie's steps was drowned by the storm but we could 
hear the swish of the water as it swept through the wheels 

noise passed 

of the buggy and snatched at poor Fannie's legs. As we 

washed 

got away from the bank one flash revealed great clots of 

pieces 

foam whirled along so fast they almost seemed to fly. An- 

carried 

other showed us a great log rushing along, and the horse 

floating 

struggling to keep her feet with the water up to her body. 
The two minutes that it took to cross that creek seemed 
an hour. Once on the other side, we plodded on down the 

drove 

road. The wind dashed the rain into Fannie's eyes until 

threw 

she lost the road; a scraping and cracking warned us that 

sounds 

we were out of the road and ripping a farmer's rail fence 

tearing 

with our hubs. Drenched in spite of our curtains and 

wet 

apron, dazed by the noises of the storm, and thoroughly 

confused 

exhausted by the nerve strain, we found refuge at a farm- 
tired 
house half a mile from the ford. 



Now reread it, substituting the words below the 
lines for those immediately above them. Does the 
choice of words make any difference in the vividness 
of the pictures .f^ Are the more effective words new 
to you? Do you ever use them.'^ 

All this is merely a matter of taking pains to use 
the word that expresses the exact idea. In this de- 
scription the words we prefer are exactly those ex- 
pressing more vigorous action, because action is the 



70 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

keynote of the whole. To be similarly exact in a re- 
port of a balmy day that gave you spring fever, you 
would need words of a very different sort. In this 
description the words made pictures chiefly, because 
the persons, unable to do anything and fairly well 
protected from the wind and water, really became 
all eyes. This might not be true of the spring day 
or of one of the "dog days." 
Write Because much of the success of your description 

of the weather incident you have in mind will depend 
upon your choice of words, it would be a good plan 
to think of your story as a picture and to list the ele- 
ments it contains, such as : 



house 

light 

wind or 

rain 



heat 




cheeks 


dust 




wind 


clothing 


or 


sleet 


tongue 




muscles 



Then wTite beside each as many suitable descriptive 
words as you can think of. :Make your choice among 
these words with the utmost care, remembering al- 
ways the general effect which you wish to produce. 
This process will help you to picture the incident 
vividly. Then put this paper out of sight and write 
your first draft. Read this to discoviM' where more 
accurate or more forceful words nuiy be used, make 
necessary substitutions, and copy your paper neatly. 
If you finish before the others, read this account 
of New England weatluM- by :srark Twain. Study 
the last paragraph to see just what words make the 
picture most vivid and interesting. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 71 

New England Weather^ 

There is a sumptuous variety about the New England 
weather that comj>els the stranger's admiration — and re- 
gret. The weather is always doing something there; al- 
ways attending strictly to business ; always getting up new 
designs and trying them on the people to see how they 
will go. But it gets through more business in spring than 
in any other season. In the spring I have counted one 
hundred thirty-six different kinds of weather within four 
and twenty hours. It was I who made the fame and 
fortune of the man who had that marvelous collection 
of weather on exhibition at the Centennial, which so 
astounded the foreigners. He was going to travel around 
the world and get specimens from all climes. I said, 
"Don't do it; just come to New England on a favorable 
spring day." I told him what we could do in the way of 
style, variety, and quantity. Well, he came, and he 
made his collections in four days. As to variety, he con- 
fessed that he got hundreds of kinds of weather that he 
had never heard of before. And as to quantity, after he 
had picked out and discarded all that was blemished in 
any way, he not only had weather enough, but weather to 
spare, weather to hire out, weather to sell, weather to de- 
posit, weather to invest, and weather to give to the poor. 

But, after all, there are at least two or three things about 
that weather (or, if you please, the effects produced by it) 
which we residents would not like to part with. If we 
hadn't our bewitching autumn foliage, we should still 
have to credit the weather with one feature which com- 
pensates for all its bullying vagaries — the ice storm. 
Every bough and twig is strung with ice beads, frozen 
dewdrops, and the whole tree sparkles cold and white like 
the Shah of Persia's diamond plume. Then the wind 

^ By special permission of the Samuel Clemens Estate, the Mark Twain 
Company, and Harper & Brothers. All rights reserved. 



72 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 



waves the branches, and the sun comes out and turns all 
those myriads of beads and drops to prisms that glow and 
burn and flash with all manner of colored fires, which 
change and change again with inconceivable rapidity, 
from blue to red, from red to green, and green to gold. 
The tree becomes a spraying fountain, a very explosion of 
dazzling jewels, and it stands there the acme, the climax, 
the supremest possibility in art or nature, of bewildering, 
intoxicating, intolerable magnificence. One cannot make 
the words too strong. Month after month I laj^ up hate 
and grudge against the New England weather; but when 
the ice storm comes at last I say: "There, I forgive you 
now; the books are square between us; you don't owe me a 
cent; your little faults and foibles count for nothing; you 
are the most enchanting weather in the world." 

After your teacher has looked over the descriptions 
of your weather incidents, writing his general com- 
ments upon the papers, he will return them for any 
improvements you can make. The revised j^apers 
will then be examined by a committee, who will 
choose six that they think (1) would be most in- 
forming and interesting to your correspondents and 
(2) would give the readers the best impression of 
your school. The class will choose from these six 
one or two for use in the letter, and may offer sug- 
gestions for further revision. 



20 

A Sensation 

One night when we were skating on the river I had a 
fall that I shall always remember. I had just begun to 
catch the knack of the stroke and so to pick up speed. Un- 
fortunately, I had not learned balance as rapidly. Sud- 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 73 

denly I felt my feet shoot from under me, and for a giddy 
moment 1 seemed to whizz through space. Then came a 
bhnding, stunning crash. When I was able to sit up, my 
head felt big and light, but solid — somewhat like a block 
of wood. Five minutes later a throbbing ache set in, and 
I set out for home. 

You have had the same experience? Doubtless; Find your 
and many other minor accidents and peculiar sen- ^^ ^^ 
sations. Perhaps you know how it feels to have a 
tooth pulled, to cut your finger badly, to sprain an 
ankle, or break a bone; to flush with embarrassment, 
to be very sick, to wait your turn on a public pro- 
gram, to hear applause for your work from an au- 
dience, to be given an unexpected holiday. Try to 
write out your sensations or feelings, or both, so viv- 
idly that others will realize them. 

The first step in writing any description is vivid Write 
imagination or recollection. Not until you recall 
mentally the actual sights and feelings that you want 
your readers to experience can you write even a short 
paragraph with any real power; so, before you use 
your pencil at all, let your mind play upon the sub- 
ject. Then write your first draft rapidly. When 
this is completed, put your work aside for a few 
minutes, deliberately occupying your mind with 
something else. With your first feeling thus obliter- 
ated, you will be able to read your composition 
to see what impression another person will receive 
from it. As you read, make a conscious effort to 
substitute vivid words which make a strong appeal 
for colorless words which do not add to the effect. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 



74 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

selection, and see how by his masterly choice of 
words Van Dyke makes his readers feel all the thrill 
and exliilaration of shooting the rapids. 

By the rocky cove where the Island House peers out 
through the fir-trees, the current already has a perceptible 
slope. It begins to boil over hidden stones in the middle, 
and gurgles at projecting points of rock. A mile farther 
down there is an islet where the stream quickens, chafes, 
and breaks into a rapid. Behind the islet it drops down 
in three or four foaming steps. On the outside it makes 
one long, straight rush into a line of white-crested standing 
waves. 

As we approached, the steersman in the first canoe stood 
up to look over the course. The sea was high. Was it 
too high? The canoes were heavily loaded. Could they 
leap the waves .^ There was a quick talk among the guides 
as we slipped along, undecided which way to turn. Then 
the question seemed to settle itself, as most of these wood- 
land questions do, as if some silent force of nature had the 
casting vote. '' Sautez, sautez!'' cried Ferdinand, "en- 
voyez au larger' In a moment we were sliding down the 
smooth back of the rapid, directly toward the first big 
wave. The rocky sliore went by us like a dream ; we could 
feel the motion of the eartli wliirling around with us. The 
crest of the billow in front curk^d above the bow of the 
canoe. ''Arrety' arrer\ doucemeni T' A swift stroke of 
the paddle checked the canoe, (}uivering and panting like 
a horse suddenly reined in. The wave aliead, as if sur- 
prised, sank and flattened for a second. The canoe leaped 
through the edge of it, swerved to one side, and ran gaily 
down along the fringe of the line of billows, into quieter 
water. 

Every one feels the exliihiration of such a descent. I 
know a lady who almost cried with fright when she went 
down her first rapid, but before the voyage was ended she 
was saying: — 



[ Booh S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 75 

"Count that day lost whose low descending sun 
Sees no fall leaped, no foaming rapid run." 
It takes a touch of danger to bring out the joy of life. 

Our guides began to shout, and joke each other, and 
praise their canoes. 

"You grazed that villain rock at the corner," said Jean; 
"didn't you know where it was?" 

"Yes, after I touched it," cried Ferdinand; "but you 
took in a bucket of water, and I suppose your Vfisieu is 
sitting on a piece of the river. Is it not?" 

This seemed to us all a very merry jest, and we laughed 
with the same inextinguishable laughter which a practical 
joke, according to Homer, always used to raise in Olympus. 
It is one of the charms of life in the woods that it brings 
back the high spirits of boyhood and renews the youth of 
the world. Plain fun, like plain food, tastes good out of 
doors.^ 

— ^Van Dyke; "Au Large," in LiMle Rivers. 

Since the topic which you have written upon is a ^'^^9^, ^^^ 

^ ^ aescnp- 

rather personal one, you may leave your paper un- tions 
signed. A committee of three will choose ^ve papers 
and read them aloud for class discussion, and will 
grade the others by some composition scale like the 
Hudelson or the Willing scale. After this has been 
done, you may take your paper. If your scale rating 
is low, try to find out how to improve your work. 

21 

Word Portraits 

The other day you described some great leader of ^l^^J^^^ 
today for your classmates to guess. Suppose now 
you try your hand at describing some character in 

^By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. 



76 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

fiction. It will be well to make a list of interesting 
characters first, such as Sidney Carton, Rebecca of 
Sunnybrook Farm, David Copperfield, etc. Don't 
forget your childhood favorites. AMien the list is as 
long as possible, your teacher will allow each pupil 
to draw a character. If you are not familiar ^ath the 
character whose name you draw, you may have to 
read the book in which the character appears. Time 
will be allowed for necessary reading at home before 
the day set for reports. The descriptions may be 
presented Qrally or in writing as you and your teacher 
decide. 

In planning your description of the character as- 
signed to you, use your own imagination as well as 
the word pictures of the author. Keep closely to 
your problem, which is to describe the person, not to 
relate what he does. You have already found out 
that it pays to give the general imi)ression first. Add 
to the power of your descrii)tion by selecting carefully 
the adjectives you will use in describing appearances 
and the adverbs you will apply in describing manner. 

If you finish before the others, read these descrip- 
tions taken from Longfellow's poems, and see how 
many of the characters you can identify.^ Ninth- 
grade pupils should be sufficiently familiar with 
Longfellow to name these easily. Can you do it? 



Fair was she to behold, that maiden of seventeen summers. 
Black were her eyes as tlic ])erry tliat <,'r()\vs on the thorn 
])y the wayside, 

'The soloctions nre used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co., the 
aufliorizcd puhlishcrs. 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 77 

Black, yet how softly they gleamed beneath the brown 
shade of her tresses! 

Fairer was she when, on Sunday morn, while the bell from 
its turret 

Sprinkled with holy sounds the air, as the priest with his 
hyssop 

Sprinkles the congregation, and scatters blessings among 
them, 

Down the long street she passed, with her chaplet of beads 
and her missal. 

Wearing her Norman cap and her kirtle of blue, and the 
ear-rings 

Brought in the olden time from France, and since as an 
heirloom 

Handed down from mother to child through long genera- 
tions. 

But a celestial brightness, a more ethereal beauty. 

Shone on her face and encircled her form, when after con- 
fession 

Homeward serenely she walked with God's benediction 
upon her. 

When she had passed it seemed like the ceasing of exquisite 
music. 

II 

a mighty man is he 



With large and sinewy hands; 

And the muscles of his brawny arms 

Are strong as iron bands. 

His hair is crisp, and black, and long, 

His face is like the tan; 

His brow is wet with honest sweat, 

He earns whatever he can, 

And looks the whole world in the face. 

For he owes not any man. 



78 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Pyook 3 ] 



III 



Little heeded he their jesting. 
Little cared he for their insults, 
For the women and the maidens 

Loved the handsome 

He was dressed in shirt of doeskin, 
White and soft, and fringed with ermine. 
All inwrought with beads of wampum; 
He was dressed in deerskin leggings 
Fringed with hedgehog quills and ermine; 
And in moccasins of buck-skin. 
Thick with quills and beads embroidered. 
On his head were plumes of swansdown, 
On his heels were tails of foxes, 
In one hand a fan of feathers, 
And a pipe was in the other. 

Barred with streaks of red and yellow, 
Streaks of blue and bright vermilion 

Shone the face of 

From his forehead fell his tresses 
Smooth and parted like a woman's, 
Shining bright with oil, and plaited. 
Hung with braids of scented grasses. 
As among the guests assembled. 
To the sound of flutes and singing. 
To the sound of drums and voices. 

Rose the handsome 

To begin his mystic dances. 



IV 

Near him was seated , his friend and liouscliold com- 
panion 

Writing with dihgent speed at a tal)lc of pine by the 
window; 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 79 

Fair-haired, azure-eyed, with dehcate Saxon com- 
plexion. 

Having the dew of his youth, and the beauty thereof, as 
the captives 

Whom Saint Gregory saw, and exclaimed, "Not Angles 
but Angels." 

Youngest of all was he of the men who came in the May- 
flower. 



Trained for either camp or court, 
Skilful in each manly sport. 

Young and beautiful and tall; 
Art of warfare, craft of chases. 
Swimming, skating, snowshoe races. 
Excellent alike in all. 

On the ship-rails he could stand. 
Wield his sword with either hand, 

And at once two javelins throw; 
At all feasts where ale was strongest 
Sat the merry monarch longest, 
First to come and last to go. 

Norway never yet had seen 
One so beautiful of mien. 

One so royal in attire. 
When in arms completely furnished, 
Harness gold-inlaid and burnished. 
Mantle like a flame of fire. 

It would be well to take an entire period for telling j^^g^ if^g 
or reading your descriptions of noted characters in descrip- 
fiction. As soon as you feel reasonably sure of the 
identity of the person described, stand. The reader, 



80 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

after giving a moment for those still seated to think, 
will name his subject. If you were wrong, sit down. 
All members of the class who are familiar with the 
hero or heroine of each story will help to judge the 
accuracy and vividness of the description given. 

22 

A Vocabulary Match 

The teacher will appoint two captains, who will 
choose players as for a spelling match. Your 
teacher will announce a list of common overworked 
words — get, for instance — for which synonyms are 
to be given in the match tomorrow. Each side may 
study this list and collect synonyms in any way it 
likes. Perhaps your teacher will allow some class 
time for such preparation. The match itself will 
begin with the reading by the teacher (or by one of 
the pupils acting as umpire, if the class happens to 
consist of an odd number) of a word from the list — 
gef, for example. The A captain will give a synonym 
— obtain, perhaps. Then the B captain will give 
another synonym, then the second A player, the sec- 
ond B player, and so on, until someone makes a 
mistake or fails to answer within thirty seconds. 
The side whose player has failed must then forfeit 
to the other side any player (except the captain) 
demanded. The teacher will give a new word — e. 
g., say — and the next B player will give the first 
synonym. The game continues in this way for five 
or ten minutes, according to circumstances. The 
side having the more players at the end of the game 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 81 

is the winner. If a longer match is desired, it may 
be played in installments, five minutes a day. 

23 

Oh, so Good! 

Strangely enough, the chief thing I remember about Read 
being lost is the dinner I had that night. It was my fifth **^^^^^2/ 
birthday, and mother had promised to celebrate it by 
cooking the things I liked for dinner. About five o'clock 
she discovered that she did not have any cinnamon for 
the pudding. She tried to borrow from Mrs. Tobin next 
door, but Mrs. Tobin didn't have any. I heard the con- 
versation and volunteered to go to the store three blocks 
away. I had never gone alone and mother was afraid to 
send me, but I begged so hard to be allowed to show that 
I was five years old that she finally agreed. Of course 
I got lost and wandered all over our section of the town. 
When a kind-hearted woman finally took me in tow, I 
was so hungry and frightened that I could not tell my 
father's name or where we lived. All I could think of 
was that I should miss that wonderful dinner mother was 
preparing. About six-thirty my fifteen-year-old brother, 
whom mother had sent to look for me, found me a mile 
from home and going farther. Back we trudged, I all the 
time thinking of dinner. Mother wanted to cry over me 
a little and my sisters were inclined to be affectionate, too, 
but my own idea was to get to the table. I had starved 
at noon in order to have plenty of room for the birthday 
dinner, and now it was seven o'clock! 

But I'd go through it all a dozen times to get such a 
dinner as I ate that night. We had . 

So much of the story was on one page of the maga- Find your 
zine; the next had been torn out. Ever since I read vrohUm 
it I have been imagining the feast that the boy (or 



82 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

was it a girl? The story didn't tell) enjoyed. AMiat 
do you suppose the dishes were? Can you make your 
friends taste it in imagination, so that their mouths 
will actually water? Write a description of it that 
will make a fitting ending for the story. 

In completing this story remember that a mere 
catalog of things on the table will interest no one. 
Imagine yourself in the place of the five-year-old 
and see the goodies through his eyes. Write a first 
draft. Then reread the whole story including your 
own ending. Does your part sound like the rest? 
If not, what words and expressions must be changed? 

If you finish before the others, use your spare time 
to read this story from the Arabian Nights Enter- 
tainments. See if you can explain why something 
that fails to meet our expectations is occasionally re- 
ferred to as a "Barmecide feast." 

The Story of the Barber's Sixth Brother 

Shacabac, my youngest brother, was so poor that he was 
reduced to beggary; but having sonic humor, he contrived 
to fare tolerably well. It happened one evening that he 
applied for an alms at the palace of a Barmecide, when the 
porter said to him, "Go in and find out our master; he will 
not send you away dissatisfied," 

Thus encouraged, my brother entered the palace and 
strolled from room to room till he came into a hall adorned 
with paintings of gold, and splendidly furnished. At the 
upi)cr end of this room he saw a venerable man with a long 
white IxNird, whose appearance carried with it an air of dig- 
nity. My brother concluded, as was the truth, that this 
was the master of the house. He saluted him, therefore, 
with the greatest respect. The Barmecide received him 
kindly, and asked him what he wanted. Shacabac in an 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 83 

humble manner related his necessities, and besought re- 
lief, concluding his sad tale by declaring that he had not 
eaten anything the whole day. 

The Barmecide, when my brother had ended, put his 
hands to his garments as if he would have rent his clothes. 
"Is it possible," said he, "that such a man as you can be as 
poor as you say? This must not be. But come, as you 
have not eaten to-day, you must be ready to die with 
hunger. Ho, boy ! bring in the water to wash our hands, 
and order supper immediately." Shacabac was con- 
founded at this gracious reception, and was about to ex- 
press his gratitude, when the Barmecide began to rub his 
hands as though someone had poured water on them, and 
invited my brother to come and wash with him. No boy 
appeared nor was there basin or water; yet my brother 
thought he ought not, in complaisance, contradict his host. 
He came forward, therefore, and seemed to wash his hands. 

"Come," said the Barmecide, "let us now have supper;" 
and though nothing was brought, he pretended to cut, as 
if a dish of meat were before him, and began to chew, say- 
ing to my brother, "Eat, friend, eat heartily. You said 
you were hungry but you proceed as if you had no ap- 
petite." 

Shacabac gave readily in to the joke, and, imitating 
the Barmecide, said, "You see, my lord, I lose no time." 

"Boy," said the old gentleman, "bring us another 
dish. Come, my good friend, taste of this mutton and 
barley broth, unless you prefer part of that goose, with 
sweet sauce, vinegar, honey, raisins, grey peas, and dry 
figs. Eat, however, sparingly of it, as we have a variety 
of good things to come." 

Shacabac, fainting with hunger, pretended to feast 
heartily on these invisible dainties. The Barmecide con- 
tinued to call for other dishes and boasted much of a lamb 
fed with pistachio nuts — "a dish," said he, "which you 
will find at no table but mine. Let me help you to some 
and judge if I have not reason to praise it." 



84 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

My brother made as if he received the lamb and ate it 
with great pleasure. "Nothing could be more delicious," 
said he. "Your table, my lord, abounds with good 
things." 

"Eat heartily, then," said the Barmecide. "You can- 
not obhge me more." 

"You see, my lord," replied my brother, "how I testify 
my approbation." 

An imaginary dessert succeeded. The Barmecide did 
not fail to recommend the several fruits and confections. 
Shacabac extolled them yet more, till, tired of moving 
his jaws and having nothing to eat, he declared that he 
could eat no more. 

"Let us drink, then," said the Barmecide. "Bring 
some wine." 

"Excuse me, my lord," said Shacabac, "I will drink 
no wine because it is forbidden." 

"You are too scrupulous," replied his host; "you must 
not refuse to keep me company." 

"I cannot refuse your lordship," replied my brother, 
"but must entreat you not to urge the glass, for I am not 
accustomed to wine, and fear lest it should betray me into 
anything like disrespect to you." 

"Wine here," called out the Barmecide. Then holding 
out his hand as if to receive a bottle, he turned to my 
brother and seemed to fill him a glass and himself another. 
Shacabac made as if he took up a glass, and bowing very 
low, he drank the health of his host. The Barmecide con- 
tinued to supply his guest with imaginary bumpers, till 
at length, my brother, weary of the joke, and beginning to 
be a little out of huiiior, affected to be drunk, got up from 
his seat, and gave the Barmecide so hearty a box on the 
ear that he knocked him down. He was about to repeat 
the blow but, the old gentleman calling out, he pretended 
to come to himself. 

"You have l)een so good, my lord," said he, "to admit 
your slave to your table, and to give him a noble treat; 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 85 

but you should not have compelled me to drink wine, as 
I told you I feared it would cause me to misbehave. I 
am exceedingly sorry it has done so." 

The Barmecide, instead of being in a rage, laughed 
heartily. "I have long wished," said he, *'for a man of 
your character. Come, we will now sup in good earnest." 
Saying this, he clapped his hands, and the servants appear- 
ing, he ordered supper; whereupon the several dishes they 
had tasted in fancy were really set before them. 

The old gentleman, finding my brother a man of good 
understanding as well as of much pleasantry, retained him 
in his service. For twenty years Shacabac lived happily 
under his protection, but then the generous Barmecide 
died, and his estate being seized by the caliph, his de- 
pendents were all dismissed. 

To judge the work of the class, papers may be ex- ^^^^^^ ^^^ 
changed and read silently. Any pupil discovering a tions 
particularly well-written ending for the story may 
stand, and papers so selected will be read aloud for 
class discussion. 

Each composition when returned to its owner 
should bear a written comment signed with the 
reader's name. Your teacher will be interested to 
read these judgments, so the papers should finally 
be handed in to him. 

24 

A More Difficult Vocabulary Game 

Whenever the members of the class are able to piay the 
perform fairly well in the vocabulary match de- ^^^^ 
scribed on page 80 you may try this variation of it. 

Choose sides as before. Use the same list of 
words. Decide the length of the play period. Two 



86 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

of each team (or three if you prefer) will take places 
at the board. The teacher will give a sentence con- 
taining one of the words of the list and name it — e. g., 
"I wish to get home as soon as possible. Write a 
synonym for get.'' The players at the board will 
have thirty seconds in which to write the synonym 
they think most appropriate in this sentence. If 
any one fails to write a suitable one within the time 
allowed a point will be charged against his side ( — 1). 
A point will be credited ( + 1) to the side whose player 
is judged by the teacher to have given the best word 
for the place. The side having the better score wins. 

25 

Christmas Eve 
Find your Christmas Eve in a toy store ! The time and place 

'problem „ . , . , . , . i 

fairly teem with stories: the stingy customer, the 
uncertain customer, the man in a hurry, the poor 
child who has wandered in, the tired clerk, the dem- 
onstrator; and finally the toys themselves. If you 
have ever been there, your only difficulty in pre- 
paring a good story for the entertainment of the class 
will be to choose between the many that present 
themselves. If you haven't been there, it will be 
easy to imagine some of the incidents that occur 
either during the rush or after closing time when 
the toys are left to talk and ])lay together. You 
will feel freer to let yourself out emotionally if you 
write I his slory and hand it to your teacher. 
studji By this time you have ])r()bably formed the habit 

of stopping before you attempt any piece of work to 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 87 

think how you can do it best. Your difficulty in 
this case will be to choose just one person, incident, 
or aspect of the scene and to keep others from in- 
truding themselves into the narrative. If you are 
careless about this, the result will be much like a pic- 
ture taken with the object out of focus — blurred and 
uninteresting. 

As this story needs a central incident or plot as well 
as a descriptive background, it will be well to think 
about it for several days before you attempt to write 
anything. Your teacher will set a date and allow a 
class period for the actual work of composition. 

Before you write the first draft of your story, try 
outlining your plot or incident like this: 

Crowded aisle — little sister slips away — expen- 
sive doll carriage broken — angry clerk — brother's 
alarm — his Christmas savings — kind floor manager — 
purchase of carriage at reduced price — repairs at 
home — Christmas pleasure. 

Your next step is to think out a descriptive setting 
or background. Plan to use words and expressions 
that will produce for others the picture you have in 
your mind. 

Now write your first draft, look it over carefully Write 
for sentence and paragraph corrections, and scruti- 
nize the wording to judge the effect produced. When 
everything about your story seems satisfactory, make 
a final copy of it. 

If you have any time to spare, read these para- 
graphs through. Then go to the blackboard and list 
as many synonyms for the italicized words as you 
can. 



88 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 3 ] 

There is something in the very season of the year that 
gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas. At other 
times we derive a great portion of our pleasure from the 
mere beauties of nature. Our feehngs sally forth and dis- 
sipate themselves over the sunny landscape and we "live 
abroad and everywhere." The song of the bird, the mur- 
mur of the stream, the breathing fragrance of spring, the 
soft voluptuousness of summer, the golden pomp of au- 
tumn, earth with its mantle of refreshing green, and 
heaven with its deep delicious blue and its cloudy mag- 
nificence, — all fill us with mute but exquisite delight, and 
we revel in the luxury of mere sensation. But in the depth 
of winter, when nature lies despoiled of every charm and 
wrapped in her shroud of sheeted snow, we turn for our 
gratification to moral sources. The dreariness and desola- 
tion of the landscape, the short gloomy days and darksome 
nights, while they circumscribe our wanderings, shut in 
our feelings also from rambling abroad, and make us more 
keenly disposed for the pleasures of the social circle. Our 
thoughts are more concentrated; our friendly sympathies 
more aroused. We feel more sensibly the charm of each 
other's society, and are brought more closely together by 
dependence on each other for enjoyment. Heart calleth 
unto heart, and we draw our pleasures from the deep wells 
of loving kindness which lie in the quiet recesses of our 
bosoms, and which, when resorted to, furnish forth the 
pure element of domestw felicity. 

The ])itchy gloom without makes the heart dilate on 
entering the room filled with the glow and warmth of 
the evening fire. The ruddy blaze diffuses an artificial 
summer and sunshine through the room and lights up each 
countenance in a kindlier welcome. Where does the 
honest face of hospitality expand into a broader and more 
cordial smile, where is the shy glance of love more sweetly 
eloquent than by the winter fireside? And as the hollow 
blast of wintry wind rushes through the hall, claps the 
distant door, wliistk's about the casement, and rumbles 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 89 

down the chimney, what can be more grateful than that 
feeling of sober and sheltered security with which we look 
round upon the comfortable chamber and the scene of 
domestic hilarity. 

— ^Washington Irving: "Christmas" from The Sketch Book. 

Your teacher will read, without naming the authors, j^^^g ^/^^ 
as many of the stories as the time will permit. Dur- stories 
ing the reading be on the lookout for a story good 
enough to be sent to some magazine — St. Nicholas, 
Youth's Companion, American Boy, or even such a 
grown-up publication as The American Magazine or 
The Woman's Home Companion. The children's 
page of your local paper might also accept a story 
for publication. A vote may be taken at the close 
of the lesson to determine which production is the 
very best. If many of the stories prove worthy of 
preservation, have them typed and bound for circu- 
lation. 

At the Christmas season one is always on the Read at 
watch for beautiful and interesting stories to read and ^^^^ure 
tell. You will find these particularly worth while: 

Bret Harte— How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's 
Bar. 

O. Henry— The Gift of the Magi. 

Henry Van Dyke — The First Christmas Tree. 

The Story of the Other Wise Man. 

26 

Sharing a Pleasure 

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever," wrote Keats Rfad 
a hundred years ago, and people have been quoting ** ^^ ^ 



90 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



Book 3 



Find your 
problem 



Discuss 
in class 



his statement ever since, because they have realized 
its truth. Beautiful sights and sweet sounds give 
us pure pleasure at the time and scarcely less 
satisfaction when we remember them. A waterfall 
touched by the sunlight, a lake or river among softly 
rounded hills, a rugged snow-clad mountain, a field 
of dandelions, a girl's face, the sound of a brook or of 
wind through the trees, a perfectly rendered song or a 
well-played symphony, music over the water on a 
summer evening — these are but a few of the many 
things which may delight us with their beauty. 

Some of us selfishly keep such experiences to our- 
selves — foolishly, too, for such things groir by being 
shared. Prove this for yourself by trying to describe 
in writing some scene, some picture, or some musical 
composition that has especially pleased you. Since 
your teacher is sure to appreciate such experiences as 
this, he will be your reader this time. 

To put yourself into the mood for such a piece of 
writing as this undertaking calls for, read the follow- 
ing descriptive paragraphs from some of our great 
masters, and as you read try to discover their charm. 
Do they accomplish more than the mere bringing be- 
fore us of a beautiful picture.^ Does each para- 
graph call forth some feeling of wonder, delight, fear, 
tranquillity? 



Yesterday was a warm, dc^licioiis, soft day, full of gentle 
languor, the air balmy and sweet, the sunshine like the 
j)urest gold. We sat out all the morning under the cliff 
in the warm, dry sand. To the right and left of us lay 
the blue bay, the wav(\s breaking with slH)rt, crisp sj)arkles 
on the shore. We saw headland after headland sinking 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 91 

into the haze ; a few fishing boats moved slowly about, and 
far down on the horizon we watched the smoke of a great 
ocean steamer. We talked, Maud and I, for the first time, 
I think, without reserve, without bitterness, almost with- 
out grief, of Alex . . Lying thus, talking softly, in so 
gracious a world, a world that satisfied every craving of 
the senses, I came to realize that the Father must wish 
us well, and that if the shadow fell upon our path, it was 
not to make us cold and bitter-hearted.^ 

— Arthur Christopher Benson: The Altar Fire. 



The night, though we were so little past midsummer, 
was as dark as January. Intervals of a groping twilight 
alternated with spells of utter blackness; and it was 
impossible to trace the reason of these changes in the 
flying horror of the sky. The wind blew the breath out 
of a man's nostrils; all heaven seemed to thunder over- 
head like one huge sail; and when there fell a momentary 
lull on Aros, we could hear the gusts dismally sweeping 
in the distance. Over all the lowlands of the Ross the 
wind must have blown as fierce as on the open sea; and 
God only knows the uproar that was raging around the 
head of Ben Kyaw. Sheets of mingled spray and rain were 
driven in our faces. All round the island of Aros the surf, 
with an incessant, hammering thunder, beat upon the reefs 
and beaches. Now louder in one place, now lower in an- 
other like the combinations of orchestral music, the con- 
stant mass of sound was hardly varied for a moment. 
. . . As when savage men have drunk away their 
reason, and, discarding speech, bawl together in their mad- 
ness by the hour; so, to my ears, these deadly breakers 
shouted by Aros in the night. ^ 

— Robert Louis Stevenson: The Merry Men. 



^Reprinted by permission of G. P. Putnam's Sons. 
2 By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. 



92 ENGLISH IN SER\n[CE [ Booh 3 ] 

The old lady puslied her way through the shrubbery 
along the brink of the precipitous slope, in search of one 
particular spot from which the whole panorama of the Blue 
Coast spread out before her delighted eyes. There she 
could sit for an hour or more, watching the slow, placid 
death of the afternoon. No one surely would disturb her 
in that tranquil garden. There she could rest for a time 
far away from all common cares of the world, take one 
delicious plunge, as it were, into the glory of the sunset, 
at an hour when the tenderest memories of the past return 
— thoughts of all that has been and will never be again — 
like a sweet and melancholy music coming to the ear from 
far away, or a lingering perfume of dead flowers that will 
bloom no more.^ 

— ViNCEXTE Blu^co Ibaxez: "Sunset," 

in the Atlantic Monthly, November, 1921. 

It was a sea of mountains, tossed around us into a 
myriad of motionless waves, and with a rainbow of colors 
spread among their hollows and across their crests. The 
cliffs of rose and orange and silver gray, the valleys of 
deepest green, the distant shadows of purple and melting 
blue, and the dazzling white of the scattered snow-fields 
seemed to shift and vary like the hues of the inside of a 
shell. And over all, from peak to i^eak, tlie light feather- 
clouds went drifting lazily and slowly, as if they could 
not leave a scene so fair. 

There is barely room on the top of Xuvolau for the 
stone shelter-hut which a grateful Saxon baron has built 
there as a sort of votive ofl'ering for the recovery of his 
health among the mountains. As we sat within and ate 
our frugal lunch, we were glad that he had recovered his 
healtli, and glad that ho had built the hut, and glad that 
we had come to it." 
— Henry Van Dyke: "Alponroscn and (ioat's Milk" in lAttlv Rivers. 



'Used by permission of tlu* Atlantic Monthly. 
^Used by permission of Clmrlcs Scribner's Sons. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 93 

As you write your own description, keep your mind Write 
on what you saw or heard, and search for words 
which will express your sensations most exactly. 
You will have to forget yourself in order to do this. 
Do not hesitate to use words or expressions not ordi- 
narily included in your speaking vocabulary if they 
will help to make the image clearer to one who reads 
what you have written. 

Reread and polish your work with the greatest 
care. Real authors tell us that their best work is al- 
most always the result of painstaking effort. 

If you finish before the others, memorize whichever 
one of the following poems appeals to you. 

Bugle Song 

The splendor falls on castle walls 

And snowy summits, old in story; 

The long light shakes across the lakes, 

And the wild cataract leaps in glory. 
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying. 
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. 

O hark, O hear! how thin and clear. 

And thinner, clearer, farther going! 

O sweet and far from cliff and scar 

The horns of Elfland faintly blowing! 
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying: 
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. 

O love, they die in yon rich sky, 

They faint on hill or field or river; 

Our echoes roll from soul to soul. 

And grow forever and forever. 
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying. 
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying. 

— Tennyson. 



JiuUjc the 



94 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 



The Spacious Firmament 

The spacious firmament on high 

With all the blue, ethereal sky, 

And spangled heavens, a shining frame, 

Their great Original proclaim. 

The unwearied sun from day to day 

Does his Creator's power display 

And publishes to every land 

The work of an Almighty Hand. 

Soon as the evening shades prevail 

The moon takes up the wondrous tale, 

And nightly to the listening earth 

Repeats the story of her birth; 

Whilst all the stars that round her burn 

And all the planets in their turn 

Confirm the tidings as they roll, 

And spread the truth from pole to pole. 

What though in solemn silence all 
Roll round this dark terrestrial ball; 
What though no real voice or sound 
Amidst their radiant orbs be found; 
In reason's ear they all rejoice 
And utter forth a glorious voice; 
Forever singing as they shine, 
"The hand that made us is divine." 

— Addison. 

Your teacher will read these papers, selecting one 



(irsm-p- good oHc aii(l ouc j)()()r one to he written on the black- 
board for class discussion. After the points of ex- 
cellence in the first composition have betMi considered, 
the second should be subject to co()i)crative revision 
by the class. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 95 

27 

Unpolished 

Imagine a train pulling into a large station. Read 
Among the crowd of passengers alighting is a plainly ^"^^^^2/ 
dressed, rather awkward boy carrying a cane suitcase. 
He looks about him in a perplexed way and seems to 
hesitate as to which direction to take. 

Who is this lad? Where did he come from? Why 
did he come? Does he know the city? How do you 
think he will greet the hotel clerk? The bell boy? 
Imagine him to-night at dinner; tomorrow, searching 
the paper for help-wanted advertisements; later, 
hunting the address given, applying for a position, 
etc. Or, if you think he has come on a visit to rela- 
tives, follow him through his greeting of the one mem- 
ber of the family he knows and his introduction to 
the others; through the fashionably served meals, etc. 

Write out the story as you imagine it. Do not 
try to pile in ridiculous blunders. That would be j^oble?T^ 
neither fair to the boy nor so entertaining as a narra- 
tive which remains true to the probabilities. Imag- 
ine yourself one of the relatives whom he visits, or 
tell the story in the omniscient (all-knowing) third 
person, as novelists usually do. It would be pos- 
sible and interesting to let the boy tell it as he re- 
members it ten years later. 

With work like this you will succeed best by decid- Write 
ing upon your incidents and then writing as rapidly 
as you can. A story slowly composed is likely to lack 
the spirit and dash this one must have. Then, be- 



96 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Bool: 3 ] 

fore making a more careful copy, you can make some 
changes, striking out details which do not contribute 
to the general effect, inserting topic sentences or 
otherwise improving weak paragraphs, and sub- 
stituting more exact, more image-suggesting words 
for colorless ones you may have used. Finally, make 
a fresh copy, watching spelling, periods, and commas 
as you do so. You may choose one member of your 
class to be entertained by reading your story. 

If you finish before the others, try this: In the 
list below are twenty-five words connected with 
cities or city life. What percentage of these words 
do you know the meaning of without consulting your 
dictionary.? When you have separated the ones 
that are unfamiliar take steps to become acquainted 
with them. 



1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

0. 

10. 

11. 

12. 



boulevard 13. 

escalator 14. 

subway 15. 

throngs 1^>- 

auditorium 17. 

concrete 1^- 

cosni()])olitan l-^- 

cafeteria 20. 

restaurant 21. 

tenement 22. 

safety zone 23. 

factory 24. 
25. stock exchar 



illumination 

taxicab 

terminal 

traffic 

elevated 

metrojiolis 

university 

transportation 

skyscraper 

vaudevilk^ 

nuiseum 

apartment 



Jmhjethc Your tenclier will give these stories a scale rating 
*'""" either by using a standard scale or by using a five- 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 97 

step rating of her own, number 1 representing papers 
of the highest degree of excellence and number 5 in- 
dicating papers of the poorest quality. When your 
paper is returned try to see why your rating is justi- 
fied. Six of the best papers will be retained to be 
read aloud after the next composition lesson. 

It is hard for the country boy to accustom himself ^e(id at 

If") ^IITP 

immediately to city ways, but doubly hard for the 
country boy from a foreign land to become familiar 
with life in an American city. Have you ever read 
Steiner's From Alien to Citizen? If not, you have 
a real pleasure before you. You would also enjoy 
The Making of an American, by Jacob Riis. 

28 

A Tenderfoot 

Let us be fair. Now that we have had our fun at Find your 
the expense of the country boy, let us turn the tables. ^^^ ^^ 
Imagine a young person who has always lived in the 
city visiting a real farm, or even a Western ranch. 
Unless you are totally ignorant of rural life, you 
can readily see his difficulties with the animals, with 
harness and tools, with the fences, and with the neigh- 
borhood society. How serious these difficulties will 
be depends not alone upon his intelligence but also 
upon his spirit. You will give most pleasure both 
to yourself and to those who read your story if you 
choose some young person you really know and imag- 
ine his behavior under these circumstances. 

Follow the same plan of preparation which you wHte 
found helpful in working up the story of the country 



98 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

youth in the city. AVhen the papers are finished you 
may ask to read any one classmate's paper. 

Here is a Hst of "country words" to work with if 
you have any spare time. Proceed as you did with 
the "city words" in the previous lesson. 

1. furrow 13. fallow 

2. silo 14. pruning 

3. trespasser 15. drill 

4. grafting 16. incubator 

5. tractor 1'7. binder 

6. separator 18. churn 

7. harrow 19. spraying 

8. irrigation 20. fertilizer 

9. threshing 21. scythe 

10. bridle 22. ploughshare 

11. pasture 23. artesian well 

12. orchard 24. doubletree 

J dethe These stories should be marked by scale just as 

slories ' were the stories of the preceding lesson. This time 

the pupil in the class in whose judgment you have 

the most confidence may mark them if your teacher 

so desires. 

Six of these papers should be reserved to be read 
aloud. It will be interesting if the best papers of 
this lesson and those of the former lesson are com- 
bined and read alternately. 

Hamlin Garland now knows the ways of cities, but 
l^tf he was a country boy and relates his country ex- 
periences most interestingly in Boy Life on the Prcnne. 



CHAPTER IV 

29 

A Childish Quarrel 

The five-year-old twins, Tommy and Betty, had received Read 
exactly similar toy automobiles for Christmas. Setting **^^^"2/ 
the front wheels so that the cars would run in circles on the 
floor, they engaged in races more hotly contested than any 
ever run by Resta and De Palma. This lasted for about a 
week. During one of these races on New Year's Day 
one of the machines suddenly began to lag, and when 
Tommy picked it up it wouldn't work. The spring was 
broken. 

"It's yours," he said. 

"It isn't, either," Betty answered. 

"It is." 

"It isn't." 

Over and over they repeated these assertions, until a 
new idea dawned upon Betty. 

"It was your fault; you wound it too tight." 

"Didn't either," Tommy returned. "You did it your- 
self." 

Betty stamped her foot and fairly yelled, "That was 
your car. I didn't touch it." 

"You did, too. I'm going to put mine away," declared 
Tommy as he gathered up the unbroken car and started 
out of the room. 

"Mama! Mama!" Betty screamed; and then, when her 
mother did not answer, she burst into tears, while Tommy 
marched triumphantly away. 
I Book 3] 99 



100 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book S ] 

Find your You have taken part in many childish quarrels or 
problem arguments, and witnessed many more. Plan to 
write an account of one of them for the entertain- 
ment of the class. You need not be too particular 
concerning the actual truth of your story, but try to 
represent child nature correctly. 
Study Before you begin your story, study the narrative of 

Tommy and Betty's quarrel. Note especially the 
difference in the introduction of the various quo- 
tations. Is this difference desirable? How do the 
sentences of the narrative compare in length? Would 
more uniform sentences be better? 
jyrite When your first draft is written compare its para- 

graphing and punctuation with that of the narrative. 
Have you used the correct form for recording a con- 
versation? 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
selection from the sixth book of the Iliad and see how 
humanly and naturally Homer pictures this little 
scene with the baby. Bryant's translation is used. 

So speaking, mighty Hector stretched his arms 

To take the boy; the boy shrank (Tying back 

To his fair nurse's bosom, scared to see 

Ilis father helmeted in glittering brass, 

And eyeing with affright the horse-hair plume 

That grimly nodded from the lofty crest. 

At this both parents in their fondness laughed; 

And hastily the mighty Hector took 

The h(*hnet from liis brow and laid it down 

(beaming upon the ground, and having kissed 

His (hirhng son and tossed him up in play. 

Prayed thus to Jove and all the gods of Heaven: 

"O Jupiter and all ye deities, 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 101 

Vouchsafe that this my son may yet become 
Among the Trojans eminent hke me, 
And nobly rule in Ilium. May they say 
'This man is greater than his father was'." 

If you wish to memorize the passage, and have time 
to do so, try this rhymed version from Pope's trans- 
lation : 

Thus having spoke, the illustrious chief of Troy 
Stretched his fond arms to clasp the lovely boy. 
The babe clung crying to his nurse's breast, 
Scared at the dazzling helm and nodding crest. 
With secret pleasure each fond parent smiled, 
And Hector hastened to relieve his child. 
The glittering terror from his brows unbound 
And placed the gleaming helmet on the ground; 
Then kissed the child and, lifting high in air, 
Thus to the Gods preferred a father's prayer: 
"O thou, whose glory fills the ethereal throne. 
And all ye deathless powers! protect my son! 
Grant him like me to purchase just renown, 
To guard the Trojans, to defend the crown. 
Against his country's foes the war to wage 
And rise the Hector of the future age!" 

The story papers of today's lesson may be ex- judge the 
changed in class. Each pupil should read the paper ^^^ne* 
passed to him and offer comment in writing first upon 
general interest, then upon pleasing sentence varia- 
tion, and lastly upon punctuation and paragraphing. 
Your teacher will collect the papers with criticisms 
attached and, before returning the papers, will read 
aloud three or four of the most interesting stories. 

Some of our modern writers have made 'names for ^^"^ ^' 

home 

themselves in the literary world by portraying for 



102 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

our delight the doings of children. Do you know 
Myra Kelly's Little Citizens or George Madden 
Martin's Emmy Lou? Your parents would enjoy 
hearing these stories read aloud at home. 

30 

Earning a Crown 

Read The young American was in the king's palace. The king 

silently ^r^^ about to tell him something very important. He was 
the king's grandson and heir. Just then the palace was 
attacked by a mob of rebels. They thought the king was 
not their friend. They had been misled by men working 
for a rival king. The king's guard was not large. It 
could not hold the palace against the mob. The young 
American determined to call help. He rushed downstairs 
and mounted his horse. He dashed out of the gate. 
Some of the rebels tried to stop him. Then they shot at 
him. They missed him. He was riding very fast. 

Some cavalry men had joined the rebels. They chased 
him. He got away from them. Then the rebel leader 
sent an automobile full of soldiers after him. They soon 
came in sight of him. He knew they would overtake him. 
He jumped off his horse and ran into the woods. The 
car stopped on a bridge. All of the soldiers but the chauf- 
feur got out. Then the American climbed on the bridge. 
He looked over the wall. The chauffeur was looking the 
other 'way. The American jumped the wall. He seized 
the chauffeur l)y the back of the neck. He threw the 
chauffeur over the side of the bridge. Then he drove 
away in the car. The soldiers came running. They were 
too late. They shot, but missed. 

The soldiers had used the machine to chase him. He 
was glad to get the automobile. He was in great haste. 
He returned with loyal soldiers. They saved the king. 
Then the king introduced the heir ai)parent. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 103 

That is a fairly good story. As acted by Douglas Discuss 
Fairbanks, it is somewhat thrilling and quite amusing. 
But probably you do not approve the short, monoto- 
nous sentences in which it is told. 

The variety of sentence structure which you ob- 
served in "A Childish Quarrel" is needed, not in dialog 
only, but in all expression. A succession of very simi- 
lar sentences is like a row of apartment buildings or 
of houses all built from the same plans — externally 
monotonous and displeasing, even though the con- 
tents are most precious. Human nature demands 
change and variety. This the writer or speaker can- 
not alter; he simply must meet the demand if he is to 
succeed. 

More important is the need of variety in sentence 
form in order to give fullest expression to thought and 
feeling. Principal ideas may be put in independent 
clauses and secondary ideas in dependent clauses. 
(See page 168.) Vigor may be secured by the use of 
the active voice, and unpleasant ideas expressed 
gently by the use of the passive. (See page 173.) 
Important words may be emphasized by placing 
them in the important places at the beginning or end 
of the sentences in which they stand. An important 
idea may be made to strike the reader or hearer with 
great force if it is stated in a short, sharp sentence in 
a paragraph of longer ones. 

Rewrite "Earning a Crown" so that the sentences Write 
will fit the thought better than they now do. Try 
to make the best version you can, the best in the class. 

If you finish before the others, read the following 
paragraphs from Thoreau's Where I Lived and What 



Judge the 
rrrisioirf 



104 ENGLISH IN SER\^CE [ Book 3 ] 

/ Lived For. Criticize the selection with regard to 
sentence structure. Be able to remedy its defects 
orally. 

I was seated by the shore of a small pond, about a mile 
and a half south of the village of Concord and somewhat 
higher than it, in the midst of an extensive wood between 
that town and Lincoln, and about two miles south of that, 
our only field known to fame, Concord battle-ground; but 
I was so low in the woods that the opposite shore, half a 
mile off, like the rest covered with wood, was my most dis- 
tant horizon. For the first week, whenever I looked out 
on the pond it impressed me like a tarn high up on the side 
of the mountain, its bottom far above the surface of other 
lakes, and, as the sun rose, I saw it throwing off its nightly 
clothing of mist, and here and there by degrees its soft 
ripples or its smooth, reflecting surface was revealed, while 
the mists like ghosts were stealthily withdrawing in every 
direction into the woods as at the breaking up of some noc- 
turnal conventicle. Tlie very dew seemed to hang upon 
the trees later into the day than usual, as on the sides of 
mountains. 

This small lake was of most value as a neighbor in the 
intervals of a gentle rain storm in August when, both air 
and water being perfectly still, but the sky overcast, mid- 
afternoon had all the serenity of evening, and the wood- 
thrush sang around, and was heard from shore to shore. 
A lake like this is never smoother than at such a time; 
and the clear portion of the air above it being shallow 
and darkened by clouds, the water, full of light and reflec- 
tions, becomes a lower heaven itself, so much the more im- 
portant.^ 

Lbe class revisions of the Douglas Fairbanks story 
will be read by your teacher, and two good ones and 

' Hy permission of Ilou^lilon Mifflin Company. 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 105 

a poor one selected for discussion. If these three 
compositions are copied on the blackboard by your 
best writers it will be easier to discover points of ex- 
cellence and points of demerit. As you offer comment 
center your attention upon the main point of the 
lesson — namely, sentence variation to avoid mo- 
notony and to express ideas more exactly. 

If you like adventure stories, read The Last Days of Read at 
Pompeii by Bulwer-Lytton. The beautiful lone is 
kidnapped by the mysterious Egyptian, and Glaucus, 
her affianced husband, is wrongly accused of murder 
and condemned to the lions in the arena. Then the 
mighty forces of nature play a tremendous part in 
their story. 

31 

Rapid Movement 

Have you ever seen one of Fairbanks's acrobatic Find your 
movies.^ Perhaps you prefer some other athletic ^^^ ^^ 
star. Entertain your friends with as good an account 
as you can give of a bit of swift action — from the 
movies, real life, or your own imagination. Try to 
make them see it and realize its rapidity. 

In order to make your audience comprehend the study 
rapid-action scene which you mean to describe, you 
will have to sketch very briefly the plot or incidents 
leading to it. A short outline written on paper will 
help you to do this. Then practice your entire talk, 
thinking out carefully the words and sentences you 
will use to give the sense of swift movement. 

When your story is well prepared read the follow- 



106 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

ing incident from Dumas's The Three Musketeers and 
try to discover just what words and phrases hurry the 
action along. Do the many short sentences contribute 
to the idea of rapid action? 

(D'Artagnan and his three companions with their ser- 
vants have started for England on urgent business for 
the queen, but Perthes and Aramis have met with mis- 
fortune through the schemes of the Cardinal and have 
been left along the road. Athos and D'Artagnan stop 
at an inn where, upon a pretext, four armed men set 
upon Athos.) 

"I am taken!" shouted Athos with all the power of 
his lungs. "Go on, D'Artagnan! spur! spur!" and he 
fired two pistol shots. D'Artagnan and Planchet did not 
require twice bidding. They unfastened the two horses 
waiting at the door, leaped upon them, buried spurs in 
their sides, and set off at full gallop. 

"Do you know what has become of Athos?" asked 
D'Artagnan of Planchet as they galloped on. 

"Ah, master," said Planchet, "I saw one fall at each 
of his shots and he appeared to be fighting with his sword 
against two others." 

"Brave Athos!" murmured D'Artagnan. "To think 
that we are compelled to leave him. The same fate, per- 
haps, awaits us two paces hence! Forward, Planchet, 
forward! You are a brave fellow." 

"I am in my own country here," replied Planchet, 
"and that puts me on my mettle." 

At St. Omer they breathed their horses with the bridles 
passed under their arms for fear of accident, and ate a 
morsel standing in the road, after which they set out 
again. 

At a hundred j)a('es from the gate of Calais, D'Artag- 
nan's horse sank under him and eould not by any means 
be made to rise. There remained still Planchet 's horse, 
but that, too, was so completely exhausted that it could 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 107 

with difficulty be urged to walk. Fortunately, as we have 
said, they were within a hundred paces of the city. 
Leaving their two nags upon the highroad they ran for 
the port. 



The vessel was quite ready to sail and the captain wait- 
ing. "Here is my pass," exclaimed D'Artagnan. 

"In that case we shall be gone," said the captain. 

"As soon as you please," replied D'Artagnan. 

He leaped with Planchet into the small boat, and five 
minutes later they were on board the vessel. It was time ! 
They had scarcely sailed half a league when D'Artagnan 
saw a flash and heard a detonation. It was the cannon 
which announced the closing of the port! 

D'Artagnan was worn out with fatigue. A mattress 
was laid upon the deck for him. He threw himseK upon 
it and fell fast asleep. 

As many stories as possible will be told in the Judge the 
period. Three clerks may work at the board, the *'^^*^* 
first recording the name of the speaker and a sum- 
mary in two or three sentences of his story, the sec- 
ond recording words and phrases which vividly ex- 
press action, and the third recording entire sentences 
of interest used by the speaker. At the close of the 
story -telling period the class will discuss the merits 
and defects of the oral work from the material re- 
corded on the blackboard. 

When we want amusement and relaxation we are ji^ad at 
all attracted by stories in which the action is rapid ^^^^"'"^ 
and more or less exciting. If you want some short 
stories with which to amuse yourself, read Stevenson's 
New Arabian Nights. They are not at all like the 
real Arabian Nights Entertainments, because there 



108 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

are no genii or supernatural beings in these stories, 
but there is a thrill in every page. 

32 

Variety 

Study Your work upon the story of *' Earning a Crown" 

has shown you how important is variety in the form 
of your sentences. The only means of variety sug- 
gested in that lesson were (1) simple, compound, and 
complex sentences, (2) active and passive voices, 
and (3) the order of the parts of the sentences. 
There are, however, some other very useful varia- 
tions, most of them depending upon grammatical 
changes. 

In both these sentences the underlined parts modify 
pitcher and express practically the same idea, but 
they give that idea somewhat different emphasis. 

(a) The pitcher^ ivho holds the most imporiant posi- 
tion on the team, frequently draws 85,000 a 
season. 

(b) llie pitcher, holding the most important posi- 
tion on the team, frequent!// draws 85,000 a 
season. 

In (a) the modifier of pitcher is a , because . 



In (b) it is only a , because . Phrases 

are named by the parts of speech which "introduce" 
them. Every modifying phrase lias some word which 
connects it with the word it modifies. You are 
familiar with the prepositional phrase, introduced by 
a preposition. This one in (b) is a participial phrase, 
because it is introduced by the particij^le holding. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 109 

A participle is a form of a verb used as an adjective. 
It keeps the verb's power to take an object or a predi- 
cate nominative. Holding modifies the noun ^pitcher, 
and is so far an adjective; but it expresses action 
and takes the object position, and is so far a verb. 
Notice that it has no subject and makes no statement; 
it merely implies action by the word it modifies, 
pitcher. Participles are sometimes spoken of as ver- 
bal adjectives. Naturally they are modified by ad- 
verbs. 

(c) Haskins, who was elected by purchased votes, 

has embezzled thousands of dollars of 
county funds. 

(d) Haskins, elected by purchased votes, has 

embezzled thousands of dollars of county 
funds. 

(e) Carlson, who has never driven any other car, 

is quite satisfied with this rickety old 
thing. 

(f) Carlson, never having driven any other car, is 

quite satisfied with this rickety old thing. 

These sentences present some other participial forms. 
Forms like holding, made by adding ing to the simple 
present verb, are present active participles. Elected, 
in (d), is the past [passive] participle, already fami- 
liar to you as part of passive verbs — e. g., was elected 
in (c) — and of present perfect and past perfect tenses 
in the active voice. Notice that it expresses action 
done to the word it modifies. For the formation of 
the past participle see page 173. Having driven, in 
(f) is the perfect active participle, made by chang- 



Work 



110 ENGLISH IN SERMCE [ Book 3 ] 

ing the have or has of the present perfect verb to 
having. 

It is interesting to note that the participial phrases 
in (b) and (f), while they belong grammatically to 
the nouns ^pitcher and Carlson really give reasons for 
the whole statements, especially for draws and is 
satisfied. These sentences might have read The pit- 
cher, since he holds the most important position on the 
team, frequently draws 85,000 a season: Carlson, be- 
cause he has never driven any other car, is satisfied with 
this rickety old thing. 

Most participial phrases require commas to set 
them off from the sentences in which they stand, 
because they are purely explanatory expressions. 
Occasionally you will find a participial phrase which 
is not explanatory; it should not be punctuated. 

Make these sentences over in as many w^ays as you 
can, and explain in each case the grammatical 
change: 

1. Uncle Jerry, who has lived in India, thinks this 

weather cool and comfortable. 

2. Not liking the way he asked me, I refused to go. 

3. Since she knew you wouldn't care, ^larian let me 

take her place for today. 

4. Coming home yesterday afternoon, I saw a beautiful 

rainbow. 

5. Now that he has won his letter in football, he has no 

further ambitions. 
0. Wliitman, thougli he was not trained in medicine, 
joined tlie sanitary corps. 

7. Xo one educated in that school has ever failed in our 

office. 

8. Keeping as soIkt a face as I could, I tlireatened to 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 111 

have him arrested if he did not return the pocket- 
book to me at once. 
9. Hearing your whistle, I seized a gun and came out. 

10. Arrest every man who is known as a loafer, gambler, 

or thief. 

11. Any person who comes inside the rope fence will be 

arrested. 

12. While I was playing with numbers during a moment 

between classes, I came upon this odd fact. 

13. That dress which has the green bead trimming is the 

prettiest. 

14. The man that you are looking for is the one with the 

green velour hat. 

15. Although he had admitted the overcharge, he still re- 

fused to refund the money. 

16. Even granting the economy of your soap, I would 

not use it because of its effect upon my hands. 

17. Because he suspected that there was cotton in the 

candy, Michael took only a small bite. 

18. It is difficult to find a high-school pupil who is suffi- 

ciently trained in music to conduct an orchestra. 

19. No one knowing the circumstances will blame you. 

20. Having heard him described as so clever, I was 

much disappointed. 



33 

Your Own City 

I once knew a teacher who greeted his first class Read 
in a new city like this: "Good morning. I'm ^ ^ ^ 
sorry I have come to this town to live. I don't like 
it at all." The pupils were indignant, and im- 
mediately set about showing the newcomer what a 
desirable place it was. One claim after another, as 
they were brought forward, he either disproved or 



112 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

showed to be unsupported. Before the end of the 
hour the pupils found that the teacher, who had been 
in town only three days, knew more about their home 
city than they did. Yet they had supposed that 
they were really well acquainted with it! 

There is little doubt that he could have done the 
same thing with your class, had he been present this 
morning. Just as a matter of local patriotism, you 
should know how many people live in your city, 
what proportion of them work in factories, what 
their annual output is, where the most valuable 
business and residential properties are and what their 
approximate values are, what the natural advantages 
of the city are and how far they have been really 
exploited, where your merchants buy goods and 
where your manufacturers or wholesalers sell theirs, 
who your city officials are, what your museums and 
galleries contain, and a dozen other interesting and 
important facts of local, civic, social, and industrial 
life. 
Find your Voluutecr to report upon one topic in a coopera- 
pro cm ^.^^ study of the resources and business of your own 
community. If the class cannot find enough impor- 
tant topics to give each pupil an assignment, you may 
become a member of a small committee to prepare 
one of the reports. If this happens, of course you 
will do your full share both in securing the infor- 
mation and writing the report. You will be sur- 
prised at the interest older people will take in such 
a survey of the city. 

If your work is well done, you may approach 
the editor of the local paper with a suggestion 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 113 

that he use the material for a "booster" edition. 
He may be able to suggest improvements which 
it will pay you to make. If he does not care 
to issue a regular "booster" edition, he will prob- 
ably be glad to have you help with the regular New 
Year summary of local progress. This assumes that 
the work you show him is reasonably well done. 

Work of this kind necessitates careful preparation Prepare 
outside of school. The Chamber of Commerce, the 
mayor's office, the various departments of the city 
government will doubtless have printed material 
which will be useful to you. Then you may need 
to consult the curator of the museum, the city libra- 
rian, and prominent citizens in positions of civic 
importance. You will be careful in your report not 
to make any personal references or to quote inter- 
views unless you have the permission of the person 
concerned. When your material is collected, your 
teacher will allow time in class for organization and 
composition. 

This is an undertaking worthy of your best effort. Write 
Before doing the actual writing take ten minutes of 
class time to review what you have learned this year 
about how to present your material effectively. It 
may prove helpful to state each principle in a single 
sentence upon a sheet of paper that you can keep 
in sight while you write your report. 

If you finish before the others, see if you can answer 
the following questions with reference to your city 
or town. Before you can say yes or no in any case 
you must, of course, understand what the question 
means. 



your 
articles 



114 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

a city manager? 
local option on any question? 
philanthropic societies? 
realtors^ 
Has your city <^ ^ community chest? 

trade unions? 

assessors? 

a free dispensary? 

Present When your articles are written make a Red Letter 

Day of their presentation. Invite another class or 
some visitors from the community to hear these re- 
ports read. If you wish, you may make a contest of 
it and ask your visitors to decide which reports are 
the best. If some friendly editor has consented to 
consider your material, these excellent articles may 
then be submitted to him. 

Read at Havc you ever read any of the books about Amer- 

ican cities written by Robert Shackleton? You will 
find them almost as interesting as books of fiction, 
because the author's style is pleasant and easy, and 
somewhat that of the story-teller. So far the follow- 
ing have been published : 

The Book of Philadelphia The Book of Boston 
The Book of New York The Book of Chicago 

Even if you do not live in one of these cities, you will 
be interested in the books because some day you will 
want to travel through this country. If you happen 
to be a " native son " of one of our great numicipalities 
you will enjoy what Shackleton has to say about 
faniihar corners and buildings and points of inter- 
est. 



leisure 



[Boohs] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 115 

34 

A Useful Construction 

Compare the following pairs of sentences as to both Study 
form and effect: 

1. The family went to Arizona because John suddenly 

lost his health. 

2. The family went to Arizona because of John's sud- 

denly losing his health. 

3. I did not like it when you played that German air on 

the French horn. 

4. I did not like your playing that German air on the 

French horn. 

5. John did call me a traitor but that doesn't make me 

one. 

6. John's calling me a traitor doesn't make me one. 

In 2, 4, and 6 expressions involving verb forms in 
ing have been substituted for whole clauses. Careful 
examination, moreover, will show that these ing 
words are used, not as adjectives, but as nouns. These 
verbal nouns are known as gerunds, or infinitives in 
ing. Like the participles, they may express action 
and may be followed by objects or predicate nomina- 
tives. Because they are nouns, they may be modified 
by the possessive forms of other nouns or of pronouns ; 
because they are verbs, they are modified by adverbs, 
not adjectives. Verify these statements by pointing 
out the objects and modifiers of the gerunds in the 
sentences above. 

There is a passive gerund, which always con- 
sists of being and the past participle — e. g., I enjoy 

BEING SCOLDED. 



116 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

Work Recast these sentences, either inserting or remov- 

a/w*l ing gerunds: 

hoard 

1. When he came of age, his father made him a partner 

in the business. 

2. The team will learn best if it tries only one new play 

a day. 

3. x\fter seeing that house, I could not rest without try- 

ing to buy it. 

4. My plans were all upset because Dorothea came 

sooner than I expected. 

5. You do not get anything worth having without pay- 

ing for it. 

6. I found the thimble only because you looked so stead- 

ily in that direction. 

7. Before I visited Niagara I wondered why people 

thsught it so wonderful. 

8. The only reward he ever received for so courageously 

saving the fleet was a single day's vacation. 

Construct eight more sentences containing gerunds. 
See how many of them could be well expressed with- 
out gerunds. 

35 

Wishes 



Ucnd 



An old English folk talc recounts the peculiar expcri- 
Untly <^nce of a woodcutter. One evening as he was returning 
from his work ho came n])on a thorn bush which he thought 
would make excellent kindling. 

As he was raising his axe to cut it down, he heard a thin, 
piping voice say, "Please, sir, please don't cut down 
my thorn })ush." 

At first he could sc(* no one, but finally he discovered, 
beneath the bush itself, a tiny little man clad in green. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 117 

The elf said the thorn bush was his, and besought the 
woodcutter not to destroy it. 

The man was good-natured, and finally said, "Oh, very 
well, it would make me only a little kindling, and if you 
care so much about it I will let it stand." 

As he turned away the elf said, "Since you have been 
so kind to me, I wish to do something for you. Wish three 
wishes, whatever you choose, and they shall be granted." 
Then he whisked out of sight. The woodcutter, without 
waiting to gather any kindling, hastened home to consult 
his wife about the wishes. 

It was past the supper hour when he reached the house, 
tired and hungry. He was so hungry, indeed, that he for- 
got about the wishes, and began to call for his supper. 
His wife, however, had had an unusually busy day, so that 
supper was not ready. 

"I wish I had an oatcake for supper, a good thick one, 
and I wish I had it right now." 

As soon as he had finished speaking, flap, flap, came a 
big oatcake in at the door and rested in front of him. Of 
course his wife was greatly astonished at this, and he 
had to explain to her about the wishes. She was a bit of 
a shrew, and when she heard about the three wishes and 
how one had been wasted upon an oatcake she was angry 
and began to scold. 

The longer she talked the angrier she grew, until at 
last she forgot also and said, "I wish the old oatcake were 
on the end of your nose! " 

Flap, flap, there it was fast to the end of his nose. 
He pulled, she pulled, they both pulled, but it would not 
come off. So two wishes were gone. 

"Now," said his wife, "let us think twice before we 
make a third wish. It won't matter about the oatcake, for 
money will do almost anything." 

But the man did not see it that way and, since he was 
the one whose wishes were to be fulfilled, he decided to 
get rid of it. "I wish this oatcake were off my nose," he 



118 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

said; and flap, flap, down went the oatcake upon the 
floor. 

Seeing that it w^as no use to cry over spilt milk, the 
couple picked up the oatcake from the floor and divided 
it for their evening meal. If they ever have a chance to 
wish again, you may be sure they will be wuser. 

Discuss In the early literature of all peoples we find stories 

in class ^£ wishes granted to mortals in return for services 

done to fairies or to the gods. How many of these 

stories do you know? 

Why the Sea is Salt Jack and His Golden 

Aladdin's Lamp Snuffbox 

The Fisherman and The Wishing Carpet 

His Wife IVIidas and the Golden 

Touch 

Perhaps you are familiar with some of these which 
your classmates do not know and would be glad to 
have you tell. Some of them, too, may know' those 
that you don't, or may be able to recall other stories 
of the same sort which are not listed here. These 
stories, though very frec|uontly told to children, were 
in the first place told by adults to adults, and are in- 
teresting to grown-ups as well as to boys and girls. 
You can have a very ])loasant hour retelling them if 
you care to do so. 

Few, if any, of the wishers in these old stories prof- 
iled much by their opportunities. If you had been 
in their ])laces you could have done better. What 
should they have wished for.'' What would you have 
wished for.^ Suppose you write an imitation of one 
of these old folk tales in which for some reason or 



yiiid 1/nin 
problem 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 119 

other a twentieth-century, ninth-grade boy or girl is 
given three wishes. You may make them turn out 
unprofitably, as most of these stories do, or you 
may show your originaHty by having wise choices 
made. 

Before you take your pencil in hand, plan your Write 
procedure. You will need to think out your plot, 
outline it on paper, write a rapid first draft and 
then revise it, scrutinizing your sentence variations 
and your choice of words with a critical eye before 
you make your final copy. 

When your story is finished 'and quite satisfactory 
to you, spend whatever time is left in memorizing the 
following poem. These are wishes which we can 
make come true if we only wish them sincerely 
enough. 

I would be true, for there are those who trust me, 
I would be pure, for there are those who care, 
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer, 
I would be brave, for there is much to dare, 
I would be friend of all — the foe, the friendless, 
I would be giving and forget the gift. 
I would be humble, for I know my weakness, 
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift. 

— Howard Arnold Walters. 

These stories may be judged by a committee of Judge the 
three, who will choose some to be read aloud, and *^^^*^* 
some to submit to the school or class paper if that is 
possible. Your teacher will mark all the papers to 
scale for excellence in form and content. 



no ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

36 

Four Ways to Say It 
(a) Margaret's believing the stonj ivas natural 



f"^? enough. 

together ^ 



(b) For Margaret to believe the story was natural 

enough, 

(c) That Margaret should believe the story 

was natural enough. 

(d) It was natural enough that Margaret should 

BELIEVE the STORY. 

• 

All four of these sentences make the same state- 
ment. Moreover, the predicates are identical; only 
the form of the subject varies. What is the subject 
in (a).'^ What do we call words of this sort.^^ In (b) 
the subject is to believe — you need not concern your- 
self about the precise grammar oi for Margaret. To 
believe seems to be made up of a verb and to, and it is 
evidently used as a noun. This form of the verb 
with to prefixed we call the infinitive. Very fre- 
quently, as here, it is used as a noun. In (c) and (d) 
the subject is the underlined clause, it in (d) being 
only a filler or expletive, used to imi)rove the sound 
of the sentence and having no grammatical use at all. 
This clause, then, is a noun clause. You have be- 
come familiar with adjective and adverbial clauses, 
and you have for years used noun clauses — perhaps 
without knowing it. All direct quotations, for in- 
stance, are noun clauses, usually objects of the verb 
said or its equivalent. You may not, however, have 
been accustomed to use noun clauses as subjects. 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 121 

If you have not, this is another form you may find 
useful now that you have begun to think about the 
effectiveness of your sentences. The same remark 
might be made about the infinitive. 

If you are interested in the study of language for 
itself, the following illustrations of the many ways in 
which we use infinitives will be worth your attention. 
Very likely you yourself have used them in all these 
ways, and in all probability correctly. 

I wish to deny the charge \ Noun, object of wish 



Adverb, modifying 
the verb came 



He came to see me last night I 

n A 4- J . . i Adverb, modifying 

Gourds are not good to eat ■{ ^. i- 4.- j 

^ { the adjective good 

( Adjective, 
Time to think is all I need. I modifying 

( time 

Really a predicate of the 

object him. Him to leave 

They ordered him to \ at once may be called an 

leave at once. ) infinitive clause with him 

They made him leave \ as its subject. Note that 

at once. / in such a clause after 

make, see, hear, and some 
other verbs to is omitted. 

Vary these sentences in as many ways as you can Work 
and compare the impressions given by the different ^^^^^^^^ 
forms of each one. Which is smoothest.^ Which is 



122 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

most vigorous? Do they emphasize different parts 
of the idea? 



1. It will be best for you to announce your own sub- 

ject. 

2. My car's colliding with yours was prevented only by 

my promptly setting my emergency brake. 

3. I am pleased at your recovering so rapidly. 

4. To give up is always the easiest but rarely the best 

way out of any difficulty. 

5. I doubt whether he will come tomorrow. 

6. That you are going to the country with me this 

summer is settled. 

7. For father to allow me to take the car would be a 

great surprise. 

8. My plan is that you shall meet us at Crandon Junc- 

tion. 

9. The surprise of the day was our winning all three 

places in the high hurdles. 

10. We lost the spelling match only because of Virginia's 

misunderstanding a word. 

11. The result of his speech was that we lost at least 

ten votes. 

12. He supposed that you were able to take care of 

yourself. 

13. His protesting so loudly that he knew nothing about 

the theft was the only rcascni for suspecting him. 

14. The boy who sits nearest the door is not always the 

first one to go through it. 

15. Completely exhausted by the long examination, I 

went to bed as soon as I reached home. 

(Jive five other sentences containing infinitives, 
(iivc four sentences containing noun clauses which 
are not direct ((notations. 

Try to express the same ideas in other ways. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 123 

37 

Future Progress 

Two hundred and fifty years ago life was very Read 
different from what it is now. Imagine living with- ** ^" ^ 
out any coal to burn, and therefore without the steam 
engines, railroad trains, and factories, which it makes 
possible; without gas, without electricity; in little 
dark houses, on crooked, ill-smelling, narrow lanes 

which were called streets ; with no newspaper But 

enough ! One hundred years back the picture would 
be almost as dark, and fifty years ago there was only 
a beginning of present-day comfort. Faster and 
faster has been the march of civilization, the prog- 
ress of invention. Persons below middle age re- 
member when the flying machine was considered a 
fantastic dream, yet not long ago two thousand 
British airplanes were shipped in a single consignment 
for commercial service in China. Have we reached 
the highest point of our civilization .^^ Have all our 
discoveries been made.^^ Is the democracy of 1920 to 
be the last word in the world's political organization .^^ 

Let your imagination have free range, and try to Findyom 
picture what the world may be twenty-five, fifty, two vrohUm 
hundred years hence. When you have begun to see 
some of the possibilities of the future, center your 
imagination upon some one change or achievement in 
industry, invention, political life, or social manners 
and customs. Your wildest dreams will probably 
not exceed the truth, so that you may indulge in this 
prophecy with considerable confidence. You are to 



124 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

sign it only with a number, and put your name and 
number on another shp of paper. 
Write AYhen you have your bit of the future clearly 

imagined, write it out rapidly. Then in revising it 
study your story (1) as a whole, (2) paragraph by 
paragraph, and (3) sentence by sentence, seeking to 
get more force through changed sentence structure or 
more vivid wording. 

If you finish before the others, try this : 
In the window of a real estate office there recently 
appeared, as part of a window display showing the 
evolution of the house, a description of the kind of 
homes people will live in about the year 2000. In 
this description the following items were listed : 

Fireproof structure 

Floors of tile and composition 

Moving stairways 

Electricity for cooking and heat 

Radium glow from the walls for light 

Airplane landing on the roof 

Can you add to this list four or five other details con- 
cerning the house of the future or its furnishings? 
Use the blackboard if possible. 

Judge the The papers written by the class will be submitted 

comj)osi- ^Q r^ committee who will choose: 



twn.s 



(a) The prophecy whicli seems most probable; 

(b) The prophecy which we should most like to 
have fulfilU'd; and 

(c) Tlie ])n)phecy wliicli has been presented in 
the most entertaining form. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 125 

The papers thus selected should be read aloud to the 
class. 

After the committee has considered "story values," 
the pupil who does the best work in composition may 
be excused from the next written lesson to grade the 
papers for excellence in form. It would be well to 
mark the papers on a scale of five, the papers most 
nearly perfect in sentence structure, grammar, spell- 
ing, and punctuation being marked 1. 

38 

A Means of Brevity 

There is one more construction which you will find ^i^^^y 
decidedly useful, especially when you wish to say a together 
great deal in as few words as possible. Note that 2 
and 4 are both shorter and less awkward than 1 and 3. 

1. Uncle Ed, who was my mother's brother, married 

Aunt Sylvia, who was father's sister. What re- 
lation is Irwin, who is their son, to me? 

2. Uncle Ed, mother's brother, married Aunt Sylvia, 

father's sister. What relation is Irwin, their son, 
to me? 

3. Sergeant Yorke, who is a Tennessee mountaineer and 

who at the beginning of the war was a conscienti- 
ous objector to military service, made the largest 
capture of Germans credited to any individual. 

4. Sergeant Yorke, a Tennessee mountaineer, and at the 

beginning of the war a conscientious objector to 
military service, made the largest capture of Ger- 
mans credited to any individual. 

The words brother, sister, and son in 2 and moun- 
taineer and objector in 4 are appositives. Brother is 



126 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

another name for Uncle Ed, repeated by way of ex- 
planation. Mountaineer is another name for Yorke, 
added to explain what sort of person he is. 

Notice that each appositive with its modifiers is 
set off by commas from the rest of the sentence in 
which it stands. This is only an illustration of the 
more general rule (Book II, page 85) that explanatory 
expressions are so set off. 

Work Shorten these sentences by substituting appositives 

Zdr' ^or clauses: 

1. I was certainly surprised to find that the lady was 

Edna Nelson, who is a cousin of whom I had heard 
mother speak very frequently. 

2. The Shredded Wheat factory is operated by electricity, 

which is the cleanest form of power. 

3. This letter, which is really an important one, has been 

carelessly delayed by the stenographer. 

4. I have a tender spot in my heart for Hebron. It is 

the place where I was born. 

5. You should not have this dress made of silk, which is 

not a material appropriate for school wear. 

6. My sister Bertha, who was at that time a pupil in the 

first grade, is now in the fifth. 

7. Saturday I am going to the dentist's which is the 

place I dread most. 

8. The dentist, though he is really a very kind man, says 

it is babyish to cry when he hurts me. 

9. Miss Harris, who taught me last year, thought that 

history was my best study. 

10. Martha's paper, though it was not the best in the 

class, pleased me most. 

11. We sold our old i)apers to Jorkins, who deals in 

junk. 

12. The uso of the tennis courts is subject to one con- 

dition, which is that players wear heelless shoes. 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 127 

13. Even Charles, who originated the plan, admits that 

it will not work. 

14. Our machine, upon which we won the Grand Award 

at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, sells for less 
than any of its competitors. 

15. We invited Agnes because she is Bertha's sister and 

then we had to invite Catherine because she is 
Zelma's sister. 



39 

Imagine It! 

Possibly you have had the experience of weaving Find your 
a story about two or three objects which have been 
suggested to you. Those who have written such 
stories say that it is good fun. For instance, what 
could be made of such a combination as this : a parrot, 
a cat, and a small boy.^^ No doubt there is mischief 
afoot, and possibly disaster. Who shall be the hero 
and who the villain will depend upon your whim of 
the moment. Of this you can be sure: the story 
which you see in this combination will not be the one 
which any of your friends imagine. 

If, after you have thought about Polly, pussy, and 
Tommy, you don't find it possible to weave them into 
a story which seems to you interesting, try the com- 
bination of a boy, an apple tree, and a bulldog. If 
neither of these appeals to you, list several combina- 
tions that would seem to afford amusing or exciting 
possibilities. 

When you have decided which combination you Write at 
will use and have outlined the story on pencil paper, ^^^^ 
write it out. Don't stop at this time to study care- 



128 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [Books] 

fully over the sentences, or any punctuation but per- 
iods. Push ahead as rapidly as you can and tell 
the story as vividly as possible. Quoting the con- 
versation directly will add greatly to the interest. 
You will have time in the class period to revise and 
copy your story. 

\Mien your work seems quite satisfactory to you, 
try this: 

Almost every interesting story in literature is 
built around a combination of a few striking char- 
acters or events. Think of three books from your 
recent reading which you think might prove at- 
tractive to your classmates, analyze the combination 
for each one, and then write each combination on a 
card like the following: 



The lost standard of England, the 
stag-hound, and the Nubian slave 

Scott — The Talisjuan. 



Your teacher will collect the cards at the close of 
the lesson and will read the combinations to the 
class, letting the pupils guess if possible the book 
indicated in each case. Remember that your sug- 
gestion of an interesting combination may induce 
some classmate to read the book mentioned, so let 
your choices be worthy and each of your combina- 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 129 

tions an indication of the chief event of the story 
in which it occurs. 

Your teacher will read the stories you have written, Judge the 
selecting some for class reading and discussion and 
others for posting on the bulletin board. 

40 

Vigorous Points 

With either of the sets of characters suggested in study 
the preceding lesson any dialog which you used was ^^^ether 
probably rather jerky — vigorous, but exclamatory 
and interrupted. One can scarcely imagine a cool, 
smoothly flowing speech by Tommy, or a dignified 
oration by the boy who meets the bulldog; and Polly's 
short remarks are likely to be decidedly energetic. 

You can use punctuation to bring out this vigorous 
character of the dialog. A sentence with an excla- 
mation point at the end is much more intense than 
the same words followed by a period. 

If you are not sure of the exact use of the excla- 
mation point study these sentences: 

"Come here, Tommy," said his mother. 

Tommy did not stir. 

"Tommy, come here, I tell you!" she repeated. 

"Aw, shucks! You're always breaking up the game," 
complained Tommy. 

And so the argument continued,, with urging and threats 
on one side and whining on the other, for fully five minutes. 
At last the mother wore out and compromised. 

She said to Tommy, "All right, sonny, I don't want to 
break up your game, but you must come and get dressed in 
time to go to Felmleys' for dinner. You may stay half an 



130 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

hour if you'll come then without any fuss, and hurry about 
dressing." 

"Yes, siree! you bet I will, mama," shouted Tommy, as 
he put on his glove and signalled the pitcher to go ahead. 

Besides exclamations, the dialog accompanying 
lively action is likely to contain unfinished and 
interrupted sentences. Wherever the speaker stops 
without finishing his sentence a dash is used. Some- 
times the speaker, after a short pause, goes on, 
either finishing his sentence as he intended at the 
start or using an entirely different statement. In 
this case, what precedes and what follows the dash 
are parts of the same sentence, and so what follows 
the dash is not begun with a capital. If the sen- 
tence remains unfinished, the dash has the eflFect of 
a period, and the new sentence begins with a capital. 
The following sentences illustrate both cases: 

Isaac was choosing his words carefully: 'T don't feel 

— sure — that I — if I were you " 

"But you aren't," Adolph interrupted. 

When we began we intended — at least I did — only to 
have a little joke. 

I'd ask you only what the goods really cost nie if 

Now, what are you laughing about? Is it because — be- 
cause — you wish to insult me? There is the door! 

Compare the effect of 1 below with that of 2; of 
3 with that of 4. 

1. Certainly, some clever disguises fool him — for a day. 

2. Certainly, some clever disguises fool him for a day. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 131 

3. Surely, I'll come, though I don't see what good I 

can do. 

4. Surely, I'll come — though I don't see what good I 

can do. 

These uses of the dash to secure emphasis and to 
mark after-thoughts must be guarded carefully; 
they easily become such a habit as to spoil the user's 
style. 

Read these sentences silently. Then ask some Write 
member of the class to dictate them so that you may dictation 
write them, inserting the correct punctuation. 

1. No sir I won't stir one step unless I change my mind. 

2. Good boy that's what I've been wanting all morning. 

3. On your mark get set go cried the starter. 

4. Now Donald dear said mother she always calls me 

Donald dear when she has some unpleasant errand 
for me to do please take these berries right back to 
the store. 

5. It will grow in almost any hot country Florida Africa 

Java. 

6. I did not dare tell her my real reason for refusing 

that I disliked the company. 

7. You may try it if you think you really well if you 

wish it very much. 

8. Perhaps the best way out of the difficulty many 

think it the only way out is to ask him to resign 
from the club. 

9. Nonsense you know better. 

10. Be quick cried my father run. 

11. Perhaps I did not try very hard there was no reason 

I should keep the secret. 

12. Mary if you don't haven't I told you before that I 

would punish you the next here take this front seat. 

13. All who are interested in the school teachers pupils 



132 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

and parents realize the need of an addition to the 
building. 

14. Oh Martin Oh Martin wait a minute. 

15. No John shouted the idea you know I will not do 

that. 

16. That is a perfectly good excuse if it is true. 

17. I don't think he Oh I forgot you said we must not 

say it that way I think he does not now 1 have for- 
gotten what I was going to say. 

18. You can speak well any one can if you really try. 

19. Never I will not do it whatever you say. 

20. Stop him he grabbed my purse and ran and it there 

the officer got him. 

41 

A Coming Event 

Work "Oh, I dread that examination in history next 

TivebJ^' week. I never can think what to say, and I always 
get so mixed up! I don't see why teachers can't 
get along without examinations." 

Did you ever say anything like that.'^ It sounds 
familiar, at least, doesn't it? And the trouble is, 
not that you don't know, but that you feel that you 
can't tell quickly and clearly w^hat you know. 

Here is one way to help yourselves surmount the 
difficulty. Choose any subject in your course — 
history, biology, or physical geography — which re- 
quires written paragraph answers. Then make out 
an examination twice or three times as long as a real 
one. Inckide any questions which the class thinks 
likely to be asked, but be sure that they are clearly 
worded and easily understood by all. You will dis- 
cover that it is quite difficult to make questions which 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 133 

are clear and definite and not subject to misinterpre- 
tation. Discuss the wording freely and don't leave 
a question until the class is satisfied with the way in 
which it is expressed. 

After the questions have been worked out coopera- Choose 
tively, let every member of the class choose two by p^ot^/^^ 
drawing numbers. Time will then be allowed for 
writing out the answers. 

The idea in this lesson is to obtain some practice Write 
in the rapid organization of material and in answering 
to the point. Jot down quickly on pencil paper the 
main items of your answer. See if you have covered 
the question adequately and have included the most 
important facts. Pages of trivial details are worth- 
less. Then write your answer immediately in ink 
as the time allowed for a real examination is not 
usually sufficient to allow for rewriting. Be neat, 
spell as correctly as possible, use complete sentences 
in your paragraph, and punctuate. Good form in an 
examination paper helps to leave an impression of 
intelligence. 

If you finish before the others, read through these 
answers to questions. Decide which one is the most 
commendable. Be able to point out defects in the 
others and to suggest improvements. 

1. Give two important provisions of the Magna 
Carta. 

The Magna Carta was a charter granted by King John 
to the English people. It is called the foundation of Eng- 
lish liberties. King John signed it at Runny mede in 1215. 
It is said that while he was signing it he laughed and joked 
with the barons but that when he reached his own room 



134 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

he threw himself upon the floor in a rage. It provided that 
no free man might be punished for anything except by the 
judgment of his peers and in accordance with the law of 
the land. 

2. Explain what is meant by metamorphosis. 
Give an example of complete and of incomplete 
metamorphosis. 

Metamorphosis is when something changes instead of 
growing larger. It changes into something quite different 
from what it was at first. If it goes through all the 
changes like a butterfly it is complete metamorphosis. If 
it leaves out some of the changes it is incomplete meta- 
morphosis. A dragon-fly is incomplete metamorphosis. 
It is metamorphosis when an insect passes from the egg to 
the caterpillar to the pupa and lastly to the adult butterfly. 

3. Explain osmosis and give an illustration of the 
process in the body. 

Osmosis is the exchange of two liquids or gases through 
a porous membrane. When the impure blood is brought 
to the lungs to be purified, the oxygen in the fresh air in- 
haled into the lungs passes through the lung tissue into 
the blood and the carbon dioxide with which the impure 
blood is laden is exchanged for it and is then exhaled. 
This exchange process is an example of osmosis. 

Judge the In judging youF answers to the questions which the 
class formulated, it might be well to give each perfect 
answer a value of ten. Perfection, of course, con- 
sists of completeness, orderliness, and such mechani- 
cal correctness as makes reading easy. Exchange 
papers and let some classmate decide how many 
credits out of a j)ossible ten he would be willing 
to allow for each answer on your paper. Your 



answers 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 135 

teacher will select a few answers to be written on the 
blackboard and discussed from the standpoint of form. 

42 

Comma's Big Brother 

After all the advice about and practice in varying Study 
your sentence forms you have probably begun to ^^^^ ^^ 
write some which call for semicolons. 

The semicolon is frequently described as a larger 
comma. Try to determine by studying the uses of 
the semicolon in the following sentences whether the 
description is a good one. 

(a) I want to have a princess's room; I feel so cramped 

in here. 

(b) Blood was streaming upon the snow; and that purple 

stain in the midst of King Street, though it melted 
away in the next day's sun, was never forgotten 
nor forgiven by the people. 

(c) *' I cannot bear it longer," said she; " I must get away 

from here at once." 

(d) "Dear, dear! They're coming after us," wept 

Charlie; and down he flopped right in the muddy 
street, he was so frightened. 

(e) People so seldom come this way; and when they do 

come at the right time, they either don't hear me 
or are frightened and run away. 

(f) This path does not seem at all steep and I can walk 

along it very easily; but it would have tired me 
dreadfully to come all the way from the village, 
especially as I could not have expected those 
children to help me again. 

(g) Eating is all you can think of; greed will yet be your 

undoing. 



136 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

In some of the examples given, commas are used 
to separate or set off minor clauses; but there are 
groups of such smaller elements to be separated from 
each other (as in this sentence), and for this purpose 
a comma would not be sufficient. Such work is 
assigned to the semicolon. In the other examples, 
independent clauses, members of compound sen- 
tences, appear without any conjunction between 
them; such breaks are too large — or sharp — to be 
marked by commas, and require semicolons. The 
last sentence contains an illustration of the principle 
it states. 

When the members of a compound sentence them- 
selves contain commas or when there is no conjunc- 
tion between them they are separated by a semi- 
colon. 
Wrifcfrnm Insert whatever punctuation is needed in the fol- 
lowing: 

1. You need not go with me I am not at all afraid. 

2. I sympathize with your impatience I know how hard 
it is to wait when you are hungry. 

3. Ten years ago when he was sick and I was poor and 
couldn't get a cent at the bank he let me have 
money to start my own business and now when I've 
made a fortune and he needs a loan to save him 
from losing all he has am I going to refuse to help? 

4. Vivian McKendry one of our Campfire Girls has be- 
come a real expert in making "corn pone" which is 
I am surprised to find really good and June Cap- 
ter another of our grouj) cooks bacon to go with 
the pone. 

5. She played yesterday and the day before and the day 
Ix'fore that therefore I think she is likely to play 
today, too. 



dictation 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 137 

6. If after ten days' free trial you think the machine is 

worth the price pay us $1.50 down and $1 a 
month for ten months if not return it at our ex- 
pense and owe us nothing. 

7. You used to buy good clothes at this price and so 

you think this offer isn't very much of a bargain 
only a scheme to sell you a suit at the regular 
price but we know you will not be able to buy 
even an inferior suit for this price when our stock 
is once exhausted. 

8. While you're getting get aplenty said Mrs. Means but 

you must remember she was talking about good 
land at bargain prices. 

9. Take it along if you want it it's no good to us any 

more. 

10. The beginning golfer like the youngster trying for the 

baseball team grows weary of the coach's con- 
stantly reiterating keep your eye on the ball but 
the next season you hear him proffering the same 
advice to the new recruits because he has found it 
the one thing needful. 

11. He could have carried the subject if he had tried he 

has ability enough but he is lazy. 

12. I counted up my cousins the other day Aunt Sarah's 

children Maude Rowena and Kenneth Uncle 
Thomas's Thomas Jr. Wilfred Mabel Violet and 
Lucy and Uncle Robert's Arthur Emily Louise 
Norah. 

13. The last game was very close even with Nathan in 

the line-up and tomorrow when we meet a stronger 
team he cannot play. 

14. Rules Charles tells us are no good at all because we 

cannot stop to think of the rule before we speak 
but I noticed that while he was talking he stopped 
in the middle of one complicated sentence to choose 
between an adjective and an adverb. 

15. If you use only grammatically simple sentences you 



138 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

will not we admit need any semicolons but who 
wants to stick to baby sentences? 

16. If you like our candies tell your schoolmates if not 

tell us. 

17. That was the best talk you have ever made it was 

even better than your report upon radium. 

18. Father told us this morning that he would be here in 

time for dinner and we always have dinner at six- 
thirty so I am sure he will come in a very few 
minutes. 

19. You must see our production of The Rivals it is too 

good to miss. 

20. Mildred never misses a dance and I wrote her all 

about the party to-night therefore I think she will 
come on the afternoon train. 

Work Write four sentences requiring semicolons. Your 

\^ely^' teacher will ask several nienil)ers of the class to copy 
theirs on the blackboard for insi)ection. 

Now examine your answer to the examination 
question and any other recent papers you have in 
your hands to see whether an}' semicolons are needed. 

43 

Confusion: Comedy or Mj:lodrama 

Read The cHtics say there is no new plot for a story; 

''^^'^^y that, in fact, there are only a half dozen all told. 
One of theses — perhaj)s the easiest one for young 
story-builders to use — is that of mistaken identity. 
One of Shakespeare's earlier successes, The Comedy 
of Errors, is based upon the confusions arising from 
the presence in Athens of two twin masters, both 
called Antipholus, and two twin servants, each called 



[Booh 3] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 139 

Dromio. The masters mistake the servants, the 
servants mistake the masters, and everyone else be- 
comes completely confused — to the great amusement 
of the audience. In Twelfth Night the extreme 
likeness of Sebastian and his sister Viola as she ap- 
pears in a page's dress almost brings about tragedy 
but finally proves the cause of two happy weddings. 
Edward Everett Hale's "My Double and How He 
Undid Me" plays upon the same theme. 

There are many possibilities — twins, or persons 
wholly unrelated, even hostile to each other; the 
likeness known to the pair, and not to others, or 
vice versa; one entering unexpectedly upon the good 
or ill fortune of his double; the twins setting out to 
confuse and torment others. It is possible, of course, 
for the resemblance to be no deeper than clothes, or 
manner, and for confusion to arise through the at- 
tempt of some distant or momentary observer to 
identify one. All these are less than half the pos- 
sible variations of the plot. Just think, for instance, 
of twins in the same room at school — and if there 
should be triplets! 

Plan and write for the entertainment of your Find your 
classmates a story based upon mistaken identity. 'P^^^^^^ 
Try to make it plausible enough that your friends 
will not during the first reading question its truth. 
Pile in the action, either humorous or adventurous, 
and keep your readers either in peals of laughter or 
in breathless suspense. 

Make your plan and write rapidly. Keep your 
mental eye on the moving picture you are describing. 
In revision look first for whole paragraphs or sections 



140 EXGLISH IX SERVICE [Books] 

which should be rewritten. If you find any, think 
out the new plan and rewrite rapidly. ^Yhen you 
have done your best on the story as a whole, revise 
the sentences to give more force. Finally, make a 
neat copy, giving especial attention to punctuation. 
Judge the Because these stories are likely to be rather long, 
not many of them can be read aloud. Your teacher 
will divide the class into groups of convenient size. 
Each group will read the stories of its members and 
choose one for oral reading or to be sent to the 
school paper. If time presses, the silent reading may 
be done outside of class. The class may discuss 
briefly the merits of the stories read and choose one 
for submission to the school or local paper. Sen- 
tences in it difficult to punctuate may be copied 
upon the board and pointed by the advice of the 
whole group. 

44 

The Colon 

j^^^j You may have supposed that punctuation is re- 

silcnthj quired only to please teachers of English. If so, you 
were badly mistaken. The other day a brilliant girl 
came to her English teacher in tears over a i^ajxT she 
had written. It was a report — not a theme at all — in 
which she had ])ut many excellent ideas, more, in 
fact, than usually appear in such articles. The 
stranger to whom it had been sent considered the 
whole unsatisfactory and made satirical remarks 
concerning the writer's intelligence. She had merely 
misspelled a few words and mispunctuated her sen- 
tences. The ttx'hnical faults in her i)aj)er both 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 141 

obscured the thought and created a prejudice against 
the author. 

In writing many articles, you are Hkely to need, ^^^^y 
besides commas and periods, the use of which 
should be habitual with you, the colon, already 
familiar to you in the salutations of business letters. 
When used within a sentence its meaning is almost 
the same as that of the "equals" sign in mathe- 
matics — that is, whatever follows the colon is usually 
only a restatement, frequently in greater detail, of 
what goes before. Here are some typical examples of 
its use: 

1. The ingredients of the pudding are as follows: two 

eggs, two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch, one pint 
of milk, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, and vanilla 
or lemon flavoring to suit the taste. 

2. When I objected to his price he made this astonishing 

reply: John Williams had already offered him a 
dollar a ton more than he was asking me. 

3. Four directors were present: David Wilson, Louis 

Marston, Henri Le Bosquet, and Ivan Marshak. 

4. Whether you know it or not, your manners are to 

blame for your failure to get the position: your 
familiarity irritated Mr. Dignan, who prides him- 
self upon his dignity. 

Look through any reading material at hand — a Worhco- 
history, a literature book, or a magazine — for ex- operatively 
amples of the use of the colon. Dictate any that you 
find to a class secretary working at the blackboard. 

Punctuate these sentences: Write 

from 

1. Take these problems for tomorrow the first the third dictation 
the seventh and the eighth. 



142 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

2. One thing you can count upon whatever he says he 

will do will be done and on time too. 

3. The lecturer described for us the simple steps to suc- 

cess hard work clean living and decisiveness. 

4. The following are the charter members Willis Menealy 

Howard Yates Lawrence Gardener Monroe Wither- 
spoon Antonio Cappadocio John Stepanek Charles 
Jabroski. 

5. These were his exact words If you don't pay your dues 

before tomorrow noon I am going to have you 
put out of the club. 

6. To start the car proceed as follows make sure that 

the gear is in neutral turn on the ignition pull the 
gas feed all the way out j)ush the throttle up a 
little push the spark lever half way up and step on 
the starting pedal. 

7. There are only three characters in the "play Jarvis 

Doone Milly his wife and Harvey Trench her cousin. 

8. Let me give you some good advice carry your fruit 

home from the store. 

You may find the colon of use to you in future 
written papers because it will sometimes afford you 
a clear and emphatic way of stating an idea, but do 
not use colons or try to make occasions for using 
them just because the matter has been mentioned 
in this book. If, in recasting a sentence, the inser- 
tion of a colon will increase the clearness or force of 
your statement, make use of it ; otherwise do not. 

45 

A Competition 

Someone has said, *'Tell me what you eat, and I'll 
tell you what you are." Perhaps he has overstated 
the matter, hut certainh' what we eat has much to 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 143 

do with what we shall become. Careless choice of 
food has ruined more than one promising athlete and 
taken the roses out of the cheeks of more than one 
blooming miss. We should give reasonable atten- 
tion to our diet. 

An interesting way to study this subject is to en- ^*!*^ ^^"^ 
gage in a menu competition. A menu is, of course, ^problem 
a list of dishes to be served at any one meal. In 
the competition each one presents a written state- 
ment of the menus for the three meals of a single 
day. A word of explanation should be added at 
the end of the paper to show why this is a good bill 
of fare. Those who pass upon the papers consider 
chiefly two things: the value of the meals in sustain- 
ing health and growth, and the degree to which 
they please the taste. 

Menus to be submitted in the contest should be 
prepared at home, and if possible typewritten. Sign 
them with numbers instead of names, registering 
your number with your teacher. Daily newspapers 
furnish many examples of menus which will indicate 
the form in which they should be presented. 

It would be fun to make this a contest between 
the boys and the girls of the class. The menus 
should be judged by a domestic science teacher, and 
if permission can be obtained, the dinner meal of 
the winning series may be given for the class at the 
school. If the winner of the contest is a girl, the 
boys will do all the work of preparing the meal and 
cleaning up. If the winner is a boy, the girls will do 
the work. Of course all should share the expense. 
If your domestic science teacher is not too busy, she 



lU ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book S ] 

will probably be willing to supervise your prepara- 
tions, or perhaps the assistance of one or two mothers 
can be engaged. 
Find your If the members of your class feel that they do not 
vroblem^ kuow the kiuds of food which a person needs, and the 
relative amounts of each which he should have, it 
will be well to plan a series of reports upon the differ- 
ent food elements, such as carbohydrates, proteins, 
etc., and their special uses in nourishing the body. 
After the necessary topics for report are listed, each 
one may be assigned for preparation to a committee 
of pupils. The reports will necessitate library in- 
vestigation, the use of textbooks in physiology, 
and any material on nutrition that you can obtain 
through the nutrition classes or anti-tuberculosis 
societies in your town. Time will be allowed in 
school for organizing the reports after the material 
has been collected. 
Study These reports will be scientific in character, and 

so must be absolutely accurate in the information 
which they convey. Read over any notes or any 
printed material which you have brought to class. 
Then outline in pencil the points of your talk and 
practice silentlv. Strive for clearness of expression 
rather than mere wordiness. 

When you are sure that you are well })repared, 
see how many of the following words you can pro- 
nounce and explain to the rest of the class if you are 
called upon to do so. 

hoiijlloii casserole 

chef malnutrition 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 145 

calories mayonnaise 

entree buffet 

vitamines savory 
palatable 

During this period of oral presentation, each com- Present 
mittee should be seated in a group. One member fg^^r^^ 
of a committee should be chosen to present the re- 
port, the other members adding to what he has said. 

The work of each committee as a whole should be Judge the 
subject to class discussion as soon as its report has '^^^^^^^' 
been given in full. Comment should be offered from 
the floor as to content value, expression value, and 
adequate scientific vocabulary. 

With this information concerning food values g/^^^g 
fresh in mind, write your menu and the explanatory 
note to accompany it. Quite possibly there will be 
two or three lists of dishes of such equal merit that 
the judge's decision will have to depend upon the 
accompanying notes and the form of the papers. 



CHAPTER V 

46 

Philanthropy 

Read You are not in want. Your presence in school in the 

^^^ y ninth grade is an indication that you are not among 
the extremely poor. Yet you know that there are 
people in your community who are unable to secure 
the necessities of life, underfed, ill-clothed, poorly 
housed, without proper medical care, and unable to 
help themselves out of their difficulties. Ordinary 
pity will make you wish to help them if you but let 
yourself realize their distress. Intelligent self-inter- 
est, too, calls for the same action, for such people 
eventually become a serious danger to the commu- 
nity. 
Find your Is there uot Something which your class group or 
vroblem ^^^^ school cau do to help the worthy unfortunates 
— those who have the will but not the power to help 
themselves.^ Many lack the common necessities 
of life — food, clothing, and shelter. Others are 
hampered because they are unable to obtain an 
education. Still others need pleasure as a relief from 
monotonous toil— some little treat which they can- 
not afford themselves, such as going to the theatre 
or to a concert, or taking an auto ride. 

14G I ''oo* ^ 1 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 147 

Propose a definite plan for helping someone. It 
will have more chance of success if it is simple and 
directed toward some particular kind of relief. Think 
the matter over at home before the next class pe- 
riod. 

If you do not wish, or do not think it wise, to engage 
in charity in this manner be sure to say so, and sup- 
port your opinion with good reasons convincingly 
offered. 

To secure the support of your classmates for your study 
proposal you will have to describe your plan en- 
thusiastically, and argue for it, if argument will help. 
Plans suggested by others will crowd yours out unless 
you present, either by direct statement or by implica- 
tion from the conditions you describe, a convincing 
reason why your plan should be adopted. This means 
very complete preparation. Any stumbling or hesi- 
tation will mar the effectiveness of your speech. Out- 
line your points, marshal your concrete illustrations, 
use a little finer vocabulary than your usual one. 
Practice several times and be sure that you have an 
effective ending. 

When your speech is well prepared, if there is any 
of the study time left, use it to memorize the follow- 
ing selection from "The Vision of Sir Launfal": 

That is no true alms which the hand can hold: 
He gives only the worthless gold 
Who gives from a sense of duty; 
But he who gives but a slender mite, 
And gives to that which is out of sight, 
That thread of the all-sustaining beauty 
Which runs through all and doth all unite — 



148 



ENGLISH IX SERVICE [Booh 3 



The hand cannot clasp the whole of his alms. 

The heart outstretches its eager palms, 

For a god goes with it and makes it store 

To the soul that was sta^^'ing in darkness before. 

— Lowell. 



Present 
your plan 



Judge the 
pre.^enta- 



lUiui at 
leisure 



Your plan for some social service undertaking by 
your group should be presented in class meeting. 
If your class is not permanently organized, choose a 
president and secretary before the meeting begins. 
The president will preside and recognize the speak- 
ers. The secretary will record the various plans 
proposed. The meeting should be continued on 
other days if necessary, until everyone has had an 
opportunity to speak. 

The class should then adopt by motion one of the 
plans presented, and actually carry out the one thus 
chosen. Don't let this matter become merely an 
interesting oral English exercise. There is real 
citizenship training in even the simplest social ser- 
vice and, united, your class can be of real help 
to some family or to some individual if it whole- 
heartedly desires to be. 

The only judgment passed upon these speeches, 
except the indirtM:*t but very real one indicated by 
the class vote, will be that of your teacher. At the 
close of the whole series he will discuss with you 
the merits of the different talks from the standpoint 
of definiteness of plan and forcefulness of presenta- 
tion. 

Have you ever read that beautiful story poem by 
Jean Ingeh)w caHed "The Dreams That Came 
True"? Judge AVilvermore lived a haunted life, 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 149 

but the specter that cast a shadow upon him forever 
softened his heart and made him an agent for good. 

47 
Arguments That Count 

Suppose that you are looking for a home to buy Study 
and find two houses, both of which are well built, ^^^ 
well arranged, and situated upon lots of satisfactory 
size. The one on Walnut Street has four beautiful 
trees in the yard and the one in Winston Avenue 
has only one scrubby soft maple; but property on 
Winston Avenue is advancing rapidly in price while 
the Walnut Street neighborhood is becoming shab- 
bier every year. Which place will you buy.? 

You go to buy a new suit. There are two which 
in fit, style, and price are quite satisfactory. The 
wearing quality of the material in one is decidedly 
superior to that in the other, but the latter suit is 
of just the shade you wish. Which suit will you buy.^^ 

Next year you may go to either of two schools. 
In most respects they are equally desirable. The 
Harpole School, however, is distinctly the more 
fashionable of the two — its pupils are the children 
of wealth; the Mead School has the better faculty 
and a stronger spirit of industry among the students. 
Which school will your parents choose.? 

Yesterday was a holiday. You very much wanted 
to show off your new suit, for you think it both ele- 
gant and becoming. You had had the suit rushed 
home in order that you might have it for this occa- 
sion. But in the morning it began to drizzle and 



150 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

the weather bureau said there was Httle hope for 
anything but rain all day. You do not own a car 
and your allowance will not permit the use of a taxi. 
Did you wear the suit, and get it seriously damaged.^ 
Or did you wear your old clothes, and forego the 
chief pleasure of the day.'^ 

Your decisions in all these matters depended upon 
the importance of the arguments presented. In 
each case you weighed the advantage offered by one 
alternative against that offered by the other and 
decided in favor of the one that seemed to you the 
larger, heavier, or more important. These cases 
were, to be sure, simplified by making the alternatives 
equally attractive in all but these crucial points. 
Though this is seldom actually true, the principle 
is the same. All the advantages of one course of 
action are weighed against all the advantages of 
another. In such a balancing, minor points are 
likely to be ignored and the decision finally based 
upon one or two big considerations. It is not the 
number of arguments made or thought of, but tJie 
total importance of those arguments that counts. 

Your family, in which there are five children from 
twelve to twenty-one years old, is debating the 
choice of a resort for summer vacation. 

Johnny says: 

I think Kind's Cove would be the best place to go. 
Tliey have all kinds of sports there, so that there would 
be something,' for all of us to do. 

Ethel suggests Corona Beach in this fashion: 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 151 

Let's go to Corona Beach. You know they have a 
lovely, sandy beach there, and plenty of tennis courts, 
and a golf course with bunkers and water hazards; and we 
could all go boating on the lake, or walking through the 
woods, and there are wonderful roads with beautiful hills 
and views of the lake. There's good fishing there, and 
when we are tired doing anything else we can fish. 

Which one is more likely to win? Is it necessarily 
the better place? Then why does it seem more at- 
tractive? What makes up the greater length of 
Ethel's talk? Do you think that it would usually 
pay to put in details as she has done? 

You yourself do not care to go either to Corona 
Beach or King's Cove; you think Pent water would 
be better. So, now that the discussion has thor- 
oughly aroused you, you speak out in this fashion: 

Pentwater is the place for a real vacation. There is 
something for everybody to do there all the time. 

Before breakfast father, mother, and John can play a 
round of golf while the rest of us play a set or two of tennis. 
Even if the breakfast weren't good it would taste like a 
Delmonico dinner after that. Then we could have some 
more tennis and golf. There are courts enough so that 
one of us could give John a lesson every day, and by fall 
he'd *be a real expert. 

James and Susan could certainly get enough hiking 
to satisfy ev'en them. There are good roads with plenty 
of shade in which to rest; there are paths through the 
woods — mother would never get tired wandering among 
those gigantic trees with their great trunks like shafts 
of monuments or pillars of old temples. There are woods 
pastures, where one is not required to keep to the 
paths — don't you like the peculiar springy feeling of 



152 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

leaf -mould beneath your feet ? For the cooler days there 
are good stone roads over the surrounding hills with a 
river and several small lakes to brighten the views. 

The Pentwater beach is perfect, with a long, gently slop- 
ing bottom of pure sand. We should not have to wear 
bathing slippers. I like the feel of the sand on my bare feet 
and the freedom in the water. With that wide beach even 
Charles would be sure to find the water warm enough and 
mother wouldn't be in a constant fret lest some of us had 
gotten cramps or stepped off a ledge over our heads. In 
the evening we could go boating, for the water is quiet 
enough even for canoes. We would get two or three boats 
and when the ''braves" got tired of racing, or even of 
paddling or rowing, we'd just drift and sing songs and 
watch the moon. All day, every day, we should find 
something interesting, something health-giving, something 
different from our daily humdrum, to do. Pentwater 
for us! 



You will get your way — at least if the matter is 
settled by the arguments presented in this discussion. 
Yet the points you have made are not more import- 
ant than those Johnny made, and you have given 
very few details that Ethel did not give. How have 
you made your points seem more important? Point 
out the expressions that will appeal to each member 
of the family.'^ What have you done besides describe 
the resort and its surroundings? 

In your discussion of the class charity, could you 
have presented weightier arguments? Were your 
reasons really the best ones which could be given? 
Did they outweigh those set forth in support of other 
plans? Could you have made your statements more 
definite, more specific, and therefore more convincing? 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 153 

Could you have brought your point home to your 
audience by referring to their part in it? 

Good ideas, stated with enough detail to seem im- 
portant, and made personal to those addressed, are 
the things that really persuade others and help us 
carry our plans through. 

48 

An Improvement 

You are proud of your school, and you are proud Find your 
of your school building and its grounds. What rea- 
son have you for this feeling .^^ Is there anything 
about your school surroundings which you think 
should be changed.^ Do you need a new building .^^ 
If the district cannot raise funds for that, there may 
be things about the building which could be re- 
modeled at small expense, or changed by you and 
your classmates without any expense at all. Per- 
haps you have a new building. Are there little 
changes that would make it more useful or more 
beautiful.^ Could there be changes in its use which 
would be profitable.^ The grounds are almost cer- 
tainly capable of improvement. Choose some such 
improvement and suggest how it might be accom- 
plished, either through appeal to the school board, 
through the raising of money by subscription or en- 
tertainment, or by the effort of your own group. 

Merely to state your idea may not be sufficient. Study 
You yourself have frequently been told of good 
things to do which you didn't do — simply because 
you did not feel that they were worth while. What 



154 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

we greatly care about we accomplish, whether it 
requires effort or not. That which we are not 
interested in we neglect, even if it can be accom- 
plished by a mere turn of the hand. Your task, 
then, is to make your plan seem worth while to your 
classmates. This will require enthusiasm, of course, 
but it will also require concentration upon some one 
advantage, some real gain from the change you sug- 
gest. You must show certainly that the gain would 
follow, and then you must show that that gain is 
worth the cost. 

When you have outlined and rehearsed your 
speech, reread pages 149-52. Can you by apply- 
ing the principles there illustrated increase the prob- 
ability of the adoption of your proposal .^^ Criticize 
your talk with those principles in mind, and then 
rehearse once more before the oral period. 

When your speech is well prepared, use whatever 
time is left to study the following extract from 
Hermann Hagedorn's You Are the Hope of the World. 
For what idea is the author presenting an argu- 
ment.^ In what way has he made his presentation 
clear, strong, and forceful.'* 

For a century, men the world over, but especially here 
in our United States, have bowed to material success as 
to the greatest god they knew. We liave exalted the man 
with money as we have exalted no other type in American 
life. We have praised his virtues and ignored his vices, 
we have listened to him as we never would to a saint in 
glory, when he told us the stages of his progress toward 
success; we have pointcMl to him. as a shining example of 
the best to which a youth might aspire. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 155 

He who has dollars, we said, has success; he who has not 
dollars has not success. It is the first duty of man to be 
successful, we said. Therefore, get dollars! 

The youth of America has obeyed that insistent man- 
date generation after generation; and in countless hearts, 
aspirations after something higher than dollar-chasing 
have been sternly crushed in order that the golden quest 
should be unimpeded; and men have made unbelievable 
fortunes; and the glamour of their achievement has made 
other men everywhere a little greedier, a little more ruth- 
less, a little more jealous of their own, a little more envious 
of others, impatient of law, intolerant of opposition, scorn- 
ful of all things that cannot be clutched with hands. 

We have been taught that success can be written only 
in figures; and a few men have gathered in the dollars of 
the many, and, in consequence, we have slums and child 
labor and strikes and starvation and bomb outrages and 
the rumblings of revolution. No reform that social 
theorists can devise can sweep those offspring of our god. 
Success, for long out of our national life. As long as the 
gathering of dollars is regarded as the highest form of vic- 
torious effort, we shall have inequality, injustice, bitter- 
ness, and class strife. If we are ever to be free of them we 
must have a new standard of success. We must learn 
that success consists not in what we have but in what 
we are, not in what we hold in our pockets but in what 
we hold in our heads and our hearts, not in our skill to buy 
low and sell high, but in our ability greatly to dream, to 
build, to battle, to kindle, to serve. 

Young America, it must be your business in these years 
to raise this new standard before the eyes of your fellow- 
citizens, your aim to give them a new ideal of what con- 
stitutes success; for without such a standard, without such 
a new ideal, all that you do for citizenship and democracy 
will be only a stop-gap that will hold the floods of corrup- 
tion back here or there for a year or for ten years, only to 
release them at last in increased volume. 



156 



ENGLISH IX SERVICE [Books 



Our present ideal of success is based on selfish, individ- 
ualistic enterprise and greed. 

How can that harmonize with democracy, whose es- 
sence is service? 

The answer is simple. It cannot harmonize with it; 
it never has, it never will. In every village, town, and 
state, greed and selfish enterprise — the qualities that 
make for "success" as we know it — are the inveterate 
enemies of democratic institutions. 

If you want dollars above all, do not talk of citizenship 
and democracy. 

But if you want democracy above all, know that success 
in life lies not in the accumulation of unnecessary bonds 
and houses, but in service, in knowledge, and in the appre- 
ciation of beauty. 

If you want honestly to help your country, set about 
now to give her a notion of v\hat makes real success.^ 

As every one can not have an opportunity to talk 

Present in the time allowed, speakers may be chosen by 

arguments drawing lots. After each speaker has presented his 

plan, arguments against it may be offered freely from 

the floor. 

Pupils who are not speakers may be allowed ten 
or fifteen minutes at the close of the period to pre- 
pare a brief written statement of their plans. Your 
teacher will present these for consideration at some 
future time if the changes suggested are desirable 
and feasible. Pupils taking part in the oral presenta- 
tion may spend the time allowed for writing in the 
study of some other lesson or in reading. 

Before any speeches are given, a committee of 
three should be chosen to act as critics during the 

'Ilepriutcd hy permission of the Maeinillaii Co. from You Arc the Ilopt 
of the World, l)y Hermann Ila^'eUorn.Copyriglilcd, 1917, aud 19i20 by the 
Miicmillan Co. 



Judge the 
arguments 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 157 

oral period. The three may present a joint report 
on the work of each speaker, or each one may center 
his attention upon some particular point upon which 
to pass judgment, such as force of argument, delivery, 
vocabulary. 

After all the plans, both written and oral, have re- 
ceived consideration, the class may adopt one by 
motion and proceed to carry out its suggestion. 

49 

A Class Responsibility 

A program for one of the weekly assemblies of Findi/our 
your school has been assigned to your class. What ^^^ ^^ 
the character of the program shall be and who 
shall take part in it are entirely in the hands of the 
class. Its length should be approximately that of 
the assembly period — a little less rather than more — 
and its character should be appropriate to the au- 
dience and the place. Both fairness to your school 
and loyalty to your own class demand that you 
should do your best to suggest an appropriate general 
plan for that assembly, that you should vote honestly 
for the plan you think would be most successful, and 
that you should do your best to help in carrying cut 
that plan. A week from today you will have an 
opportunity to present your ideas before your Eng- 
lish class. Make the most of it. The interval of 
time is allowed so that you may think the matter 
over carefully. 

What kinds of programs have you seen in assem- Study 
bly.? Which programs were best liked .^ Was this "^^^^' 



158 ENGLISH IX SERVICE [Books] 

because of the nature of the entertainments or 
because they were especially well done? Have you 
seen a program somewhere else which you think 
would be appropriate for assembly? ^^Tiat changes 
would be needed to fit it to the present occasion? 
Of course, any program which you suggest must be 
suitable for presentation under local conditions. 
Study in You have two things to do in this study period: 

first, to prepare a detailed outline of your program; 
second, to prepare a short talk telling why you con- 
sider your suggestion a suitable one. 

If you finish your preparation before the others, 
work out the indicated lists of words with reference 
to your own program: 

(a) Words likely to be mispronounced. 

(b) Words likely to be poorly enunciated. 

If your program is accepted as the one for the class 
to work upon, these lists will be valuable for special 
drills. If your program is not selected, you can use 
your list for personal practice. 
Pre.'fctit Two minutes will be allowed for each ])upil to in- 

your p an jj^^^^ l^j^^. character of the program which he would 
like to have the class present and to offer arguments 
in its favor. 
Judge the Before the oral pi'riod begins, select the i)upil in 
whose judgment concerning oral English you have 
the most confidence to act as critic throughout the 
period. The critic may take notes upon the excel- 
lences or defects of each speech and read his entire 
report at the close of the lesson. 



talk 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 159 

The decision as to the best plan proposed may be Execute 
made by vote of the class. The detailed outline ^'P^^ 
of the program should then be copied on the 
blackboard and parts assigned. It will be excellent 
English practice to prepare the program and give it 
for another grade if your school does not have a gen- 
eral assembly. 

50 

Getting Your Way 

Someone has suggested a class party or class pic- Find your 
nic. Do you want it.? Are you sure that a majority vrohlem 
of your own class agree with you.? Prepare to per- 
suade the members of your English class to act as 
you would like to have them. You can make this 
an impromptu exercise if you wish, calling a class 
meeting without warning and opening the discussion 
immediately. 

It will be interesting to see whether in speaking 
without formal preparation you can utilize the prin- 
ciples of effective speech and especially the principles 
of effectiveness in argument. 

The class may take a vote first upon whether or Judge the 
not the party is desirable, and second upon whose ^^dument 
argument was most effective. 

If the decision has been in favor of some sort of Write at 
social affair — as it is likely to be — the exact nature ^^^^ 
of the festivities remains to be determined. The 
democratic ideal is that every member of the class 
should be allowed to speak his mind — and that he 
should accept the opportunity. To save time it 



IGO ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 3 ] 

will be wise to have each pupil hand in to a central 
committee a short description of the affair as he 
wishes it to be. 

The plans submitted can be sorted and a few defi- 
nite types of entertainment proposed by the commit- 
tee for discussion by the class. Twenty minutes of a 
coming English period will be given over to the dis- 
cussion, without further preparation, of these plans- 
Remember that you are working for real votes in 
favor of your plan, and put some force and enthus- 
iasm into what you have to say. 

51 

More Class Business 

If the question of some sort of class badge — colors, 
uniform, or pins and rings — has not yet come up, it 
certainly will do so soon. Seize time by the forelock 
and thresh the matter out now. Colors at least you 
will need most urgently. 

JMake up your mind as to your preference and 
then try to persuade others to join you, as you have 
in other matters recently. Discussions of this sort 
go on sooner or later in every class, but usually the 
ideas are presented ineffectively. Just to say that 
you prefer purple and green because they are a very 
pretty combination does not move others much. 
Plan to make an entliusiastic speech, witli at least 
one important idea clearly stated and so supported 
by detailed personal argument as to convince others 
that you are right. 

Your teacher will act as critic (lurin<r this discus- 



Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 161 

sion. Try to please him and gratify yourself by ef- Judge the 
fective argument. ^'^"^^"^^ 

52 

A Mock Trial 

Many young people have discovered that mock Discuss 
trials are among the most interesting activities in 
which they can engage. In the days when your 
father and mother went to school, and even later, 
school time was never granted for such playful ac- 
tivities as these, but the pupils carried them on out- 
side for the fun— not just the brilliant pupils, not 
just the bookworms, but everyone. 

You may have a mock trial in school if you wish. 
Think up some fancied crime which will result in a 
clever and amusing court scene, and then decide 
upon the culprit. You might, for example, try the 
finest speaker in the room for assault and battery 
upon C. Orrect Grammar, or you might try someone 
for the theft of two ideas from Library and Co. 

Discuss the necessary characters — court crier, 
judge, witnesses, opposing attorneys, etc. — and then 
assign parts. It will be more interesting if con- 
erences between characters are held outside of 
school, and no preliminary rehearsal attempted. 
The opposing lawyers should each be ignorant of 
the other's plan. Members of the class who are not 
witnesses or active participants may compose the 
jury, and render a verdict not only upon the case 
3ut also upon the manner of its presentation. An 
ntire period may be given over to the trial if neceis- 



162 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

sary. Should it prove very amusing and very well 

carried out, it may be given again for a visiting class. 
Read at Have you ever laughed over that most ludicrous 

leisure ^j.-^^^ "Bardell vs. Pickwick" in Dickens's Pickwick 

Papers? If you haven't read the Pickwick Pavers, 

you have some real fun in store. 

53 

Excuse Us! 

Find your Would you like to get out of an examination? The 
'problem authors of this book cannot promise results, but they 
can suggest that you make a concerted appeal m 
written notes to your teacher to persuade him that m 
this course at least you need no examination. Prob- 
ably he has been in the habit of giving examma- 
tions and will naturally keep it up unless you show 
him a very good reason for not doing so. 

Before you begin to ^^Tite your note you will be 
wise to think what the reasons for giving an exanu- 
nation are. What will the teacher hope to accom- 
plish by it? Can you prove to him— not merel>- 
assert— that in this course an examination is not 
needed for these purposes? Can you show tluit any 
l)etter use can be made of the time, or that an ex- 
amination would have any bad effects? Remember 
again that mere assertions will not move hnn; he is 
iiccustomed to facts, and will require proofs. 

This is a fairly stiff piece of work, but if well done 
it mav save vou an hour or two of quite strenuous 
cttV)rt\m(l not a little worry. Do you suppose that 
anvtliing besides the argumenU which you present m 



^tudy 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 163 

your paper will have weight with the teacher? When 
you have your ideas thoroughly organized, write a ^^*^« 
first draft, revise your paper carefully, and make a 
neat final copy. 

It will probably require the full study time to write 
your note in a way that will fully satisfy you, but if 
you should have a few minutes to spare while the 
other pupils are finishing their work, learn these 
lines from Lowell's "Under the Old Elm." Do you 
find in the last lines a suggestion of the true reason 
why examinations should be unnecessary? 

The longer on this earth we live 

And weigh the various qualities of men, 

Seeing how most are fugitive. 

Or fitful gifts, at best , of now and then. . . . 

The more we feel the high stern-featured beauty 

Of plain devotedness to duty. 

Steadfast and still, nor paid with mortal praise. 

But finding amplest recompense 

For life's ungarlanded expense 

In work done squarely and unwasted days. 

Your teacher will be the sole judge of the excel- Judge the 
lence of the work produced in this period. He will ^^^^* 
let you know his opinion of your papers in an open 
discussion, and will also tell you whether or not your 
arguments have persuaded him to omit an examina- 
tion in composition. 



APPENDIX 
A Summary of Grammar 

THE SENTENCE 

A sentence is a group of words which makes com- 
plete sense. It may make a statement, ^ve a 
command, or ask a question; tlie only essential is 
that it do one of those things completely. Thus, 
the following groups of words are sentences: 

I have never met him. 

Are you sure that you have your lesson for today? 

Give the package to John himself or else bring it back 

to me. 
He will not come if he knows I am liere; he has refused 

a dozen invitations this winter just to avoid me. 

Any group of words whicli docs not by itself make 
an assertion, give a command, or ask a question is 
not a sentence; for example: 

(\)ming down the lane at seven o'clock last night. 
Whenever you wish to see me. 

That he ought to pay for the damage when he ran into 
your car. 

There is one apparent exception to this rule: 
any one of the exami)les just cited might stand as a 
whole sentence if it were spoken in answer to a ({ues- 
tion. It is easily seen, however, that part of the 

164 I Book 3 I 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 165 

question is understood as part of the answer, though 
not actually repeated. For example, to the ques- 
tion, Where and when did you see the defendant? the 
answer Coming down the lane at seven o'clock last 
night has understood with it I saw him. Words 
clearly understood are always to be counted in de- 
termining the completeness or the grammatical struc- 
ture of a sentence. 

PARTS OF THE SENTENCE 

Every sentence has two essential parts — a sub- 
ject and a predicate. This can be most readily 
seen by examining sentences which make statements, 
commonly called declarative sentences. There is 
always a part of the sentence, the subject, which 
names the thing or things about which the statement 
is made; and another part of the sentence, the 
predicate, which actually asserts or makes the state- 
ment. In the statement Pupils study, pupils evi- 
dently names the things about which the statement 
is made, and study actually asserts something, makes 
a statement about them. 

Few sentences, however, are so very simple as 
this. Both subject and predicate may have modi- 
fiers and the predicate sometimes has an object. 
The sentence Some pupils of your age study at 
home every night has the same subject and predi- 
cate as the simpler sentence given first. Pupils 
still names the things about which the statement is 
made but some modifies pupils — that is, changes its 
meaning. To say Some pupils study is clearly not 
the same as to say Pupils study, and to say 3Iy pupils 



166 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Booh 3 ] 

study or His 'pupils study or No pupils study is still 
to make a statement about pupils but about cliifer- 
ent pui)iLs. The words some, my, his have changed 
the meaning of the word pupils. In the same way 
the group of words of your age changes the meaning 
of pupils by making it narrower and more definite. 
Sometimes the subject with all its modifiers is called 
the complete subject; the remainder of the sentence 
is then considered as the complete predicate. The 
phrases at home and every night modif}^ study very 
much as some and of your ageiwodiix pupils; they make 
its meaning narrower and somewhat more definite by 
telling when and where the act takes place. 

The complete predicate, however, may consist of 
something more than the simple or bare predicate 
and its modifiers. In the sentence Some pupils of 
your age study mathematics at home every night, 
mathematics is neither subject nor ])redicate nor a 
modifier of either. It is the object of the verb— the 
thmg upon which the subject acts, the thing to which 
the action expressed by the ])re(lieate is done. Every 
sentence has a subject and a predicate; very maii^' 
sentences are without objects. 

Two other elements may appear in the com- 
plete ])re(licate. In the sentence, The assignment 
for to-morrow is an oral theme, assignment is readily 
seen to be the subject, and is is the word which ac- 
tually asserts or makes the statenuMit. AVe may 
call it the predicate if we like, but we feel that by itself 
it is not sufficient — it needs something to complete 
it. Inevitably we ask, *'Is what.^" Is theme, 
of course. ]\lany jx'ople prefer to call is (heme the 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 167 

simple predicate. In any case is may be spoken of 
as the predicate verb because it is the asserting word ; 
and theme is the predicate nominative — an expres- 
sion in the predicate which denotes or names the 
thing which the subject is said to be. From their very 
nature an object and a predicate nominative cannot 
occur together in the same simple statement. The 
object cannot occur with is, are, was, were, has been, 
have been, had been, will be, or shall be; whereas these 
verbs are almost the only ones with which the predi- 
cate nominative can appear. 

Easy, in The lesson for today is easy, is used much 
like theme in the preceding illustration. The differ- 
ence is that instead of naming the subject, as theme 
does, easy describes its subject, lesson. A. word in 
the predicate which describes the subject in this 
way is a predicative adjective. 

PHRASES AND CLAUSES 

Some of the modifiers pointed out in the pre- 
ceding paragraphs consisted of several words. Ex- 
amine these sentences and pick out the modifiers. 

(a) A physician's work is hard but well paid. 

(b) The work done by a physician is hard but well 

paid. 

(c) The work that a physician does is hard but well 

paid. 

(d) He will come soon. 

(e) He will come before noon. 

(f) He will come before he goes down town. 

In (a) and (d) the modifiers of work and come are 
single words; in the other sentences the modifiers are 



168 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

groups of words. In (b) and (e) the modifiers con- 
sist of prepositions and their objects. By a physician 
and before noon are prepositional phrases. The mod- 
ifying groups of words in (c) and (f ) are different from 
the others in that each contains a subject and a 
predicate. That a ^physician does and before he goes 
doivn town are dependent clauses. A group of words 
thus used as a simple modifier is called a dependent 
clause, or just a clause, if it contains a subject and 
a predicate ; a phrase, if it does not contain a subject 
and a predicate. A statement which would make 
complete sense if it stood alone, which is not used 
to modify any other part of the sentence, is called an 
independent clause or a proposition. Xny part of 
the proposition may be modified by a dependent 
clause. A sentence containing a dependent clause 
is said to be complex. Examples (c) and (f) are, 
therefore, complex. 

These sentences present a different problem. 
Study the subjects and predicates in them. 

1. Father furnished the material and I built the shed. 

2. First the ground is broken up with a plow and 

then the clods arc broken finer with a harrow. 

3. I was j)roscnt when the vote was taken, but I do 

not rcnicnil)cr how Sullivan voted. 

In each of these there arc evidently two complete 
statements, either of which by itself would make 
complete sense. Neither one modifies the other. 
Sentences thus containing two or more independent 
clauses or propositions we call compound sentences, 



[ Book S ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 169 

and we speak of the propositions in a compound 
sentence as members. It is evident that the member 
of a compound sentence may be modified by a de- 
pendent clause, which is then considered part of that 
member. Thus, in the third example given above, 
the proposition / was present is modified by the de- 
pendent clause when the vote was taken. The propo- 
sition, with the modifying clause, would ordinarily 
be spoken of as the first member of this compound 
sentence. 

THE NOUN 

The subject of the sentence is usually thje name 
of some thing. Sometimes, as in John ran down the 
lane, this is the name of but one thing. More often 
it is the name of part of a large class of things, as 
thoughts in My thoughts today are cheerful. Such 
names of things, whether of special individuals or of 
members of a class, we call nouns. Most such names 
belong equally well to any one of a large class of ob- 
jects, as hoy, hook, horse; we call them common nouns. 
A few names belong to individual objects or persons, 
such as America, Harold, Bryant, the West, Philadel- 
phia; these are proper nouns, and always begin with 
capitals. 

Most nouns show by their form whether they de- 
note one object or more than one. We speak of one 
hoy, but of two or more hoys, of one man, but of two 
or more men, of one lady, but of two or more ladies, 
of one teacher, but of two or more teachers. The 
forms, hoy, man, lady, teacher, each refer to but one, 
and are, therefore, spoken of as singular. When we 



170 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

wish to speak of more than one object of the same 
sort we add s to the singular form, as boys, and teach- 
ers. These forms we call plurals. There are a few 
irregularities in this process of forming plurals. 
Nouns which end in y which is preceded by a conso- 
nant change the y to i and add es, as lady, ladies. 
There are some cases in which the forms made by 
adding s to the singulars would be very difficult to 
pronounce, and in which we add, therefore, es — for 
example, fox, foxes; gas, gases. Besides there are 
various classes of irregular plurals, such as 77ien, 
women, thieves, and feet. 

Some nouns may be regarded as either singular or 
plural, according to the thought in the mind of the 
user. You will probably find class so used in this 
book. WTien the authors are thinking of the members 
of the class, they consider the word plural; when 
they are thinking of the group they consider it singu- 
lar. Of course, it has a regular plural, classes. 
Nouns which refer to a number of individuals as a 
group are called collective nouns. 

When we wish to indicate that something belongs 
to the person referred to by the nouns, we use what 
we call the possessive form. To make the possessive 
form of the singular we merely add '.v to the ordinary 
singular. The wise course is to follow this rule in- 
variably, and write man, man\s: boy, boy's; Dickens, 
J)ickcns\s. To make the possessive of plurals not 
ending in s we follow the same rule, thus, men's, 
children's, mice's. To make the possessive of plural 
nouns ending ins, we add merely the apostrophe — 
pupils' books, politicians' excuses, girls' votes. 



[ Book 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 171 



THE VERB 

In explaining subjects and predicates we came 
upon certain words which actually make the state- 
ments concerning the subjects. These words usually, 
but not always, express action — for instance, John 
ran down the lane. Here ran, the word which makes 
the statement about the subject John, does express 
action. Is, the asserting word in This apple is very 
sweet, does not express action. These words which 
assert or make the statements are verbs. 

I come to school every day. 

I have come to school every day. 

I came to school every day. 

I had come to school every day. 

I will come to school every day. 

This change of the verb to indicate time is called 
tense. 

As you look back over the sentences just given you 
will see that the first one refers to right now, the 
present. We speak of a verb denoting present time 
as in the present tense. 

In the present tense each verb has two forms, one 
which ends in s — e. g., does, and the other without 
the s — e. g., do. The s form is used with all singular 
subjects except I and you; the other form with I and 
all plural subjects. The verb be, is, has also the irreg- 
ular form am, used only with I. 

These facts are sometimes tabulated thus : 



I do 


We do 


I am 


We are 


You do 


You do 


You are 


You are 


He does 


They do 


He is 


They are 



172 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [Books] 

When the subject is a noun the proper form of the 
verb can be determined by substituting a pronoun 
which could stand for that noun. 

In the second sentence have come refers to action 
in the past but extending up to the present moment. 
Verbs indicating past time extending up to the present 
moment are in the present perfect tense. I have met 
Mr. Brmvn before illustrates another use of the pres- 
ent perfect tense — to denote indefinite past time. 
The present perfect form always includes have or has 
and a past participle. (See page 173). 

The singular form for verbs in the present perfect 
tense is has with the perfect participle — for example, 
has gone, has seen, has heard, has talked. The plural 
form for the present perfect tense uses have instead 
of has. It will help you to remember this if you 
notice that it is just like verbs in the present tense — 
the s form is the singular. 

The past perfect tense has the same relation to 
the past that the present perfect has to the present. 
The past perfect denotes time previous to some other 
definitely imderstood past time. It is illustrated in 
the following sentences: When you telephoned, I had 
left the house. At seven o'clock he had finished his 
dinner and was ready for his visitor. 

Verbs denoting the future, time yet to come, are 
in the future tense -e. g., We shall surely miss the 
train if we wait for Harriet. Tomorrow the Seniors 
will conduct the as.sembly program. 

In tlie past perfect and future tenses there are no 
changes to indicate number. 

Most of the verbs we have considered so far have 



[Books] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 173 

represented the subject as acting — e. g., The boy 
skates. John had broken his pencil. William will do 
the errand for his mother. Sometimes, however, 
verbs represent the subject as acted upon — e. g., 
This rule is broken every day. May has never been 
scolded by her teacher. The real offender in this case 
shall be found if I have to hunt all summer. Verbs 
that express action which is done to the subject are in 
the passive voice. They receive this name from the 
attitude of the subject, which is passive. Verbs 
which represent the subject as acting are, of course, 
in the active voice. It is clear that verbs which do 
not express action which is done to any person or 
thing, such as go, weep, sleep, cannot have any passive 
voice. Study the following sentences to discover the 
formation of the passive verbs : 



These books are printed in the United States. 
These books have been printed in the United States. 
These books were printed in the United States. 
These books had been printed in the United States. 
These books will be printed in the United States. 



Are printed is evidently the passive verb, and con- 
sists of printed and the proper form of the verb be to 
be used with the subject books. This form printed is 
what we call the past participle. For most verbs it 
is formed by adding d or ed to the present plural, as 
manufacture, manufactured; stop, stopped; try, tried; 
want, wanted. You will note also that in these 
cases it is the same as the plain past tense; and this 
may confuse you and cause you to use something 



174 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 



[ Booh 3 ] 

other than the past participle in forming the present 
perfect and past perfect tenses and the passive voice 
of the irregular verbs. These verbs are few, but they 
are the most common in our daily speech, and the 
source of a great many errors upon the part of igno- 
rant or careless speakers. The present, past, and 
present perfect tenses of a few of the most trouble- 
some verbs are given below. 



PRESENT 


P^ST PRESENT PERFECT 


begin 


began have begun 


bite 


bit 


" bitten 


blow 


blew 


blown 


break 


broke 


broken 


choose 


chose 


chosen 


come 


came 


come 


do 


did 


done 


draw 


drew 


drawn 


drink 


drank 


drunk 


drive 


drove 


driven 


freeze 


froze 


frozen 


give 


gave 


given 


go 
hear 


went 
heard 


gone 
heard 


hurt 


hurt 


' hurt 


keep 


kept 


' kept 


know 


knew 


known 


lay 


laid 


' laid 


lead 


led 


' led 


lie 


lay 


lain 


lose 


lost 


' lost 


ride 


rode 


ridden 


ring 


rang 


rung 


see 


saw 


seen 


sit 


sat 


sat 


si)ring 


sprang 


ST)rung 



Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 175 



PRESENT 


PAST 


PRESENT PERFECT 


teach 
tear 


taught 
tore 


have taught 
" torn 


wear 
write 


wore 
wrote 


*' worn 
" written 



Besides the past participle, the passive voice con- 
sists of the desired tense of the verb he — is, was, has 
been, had been, will be, will have been. 

PRONOUNS 

If we had to repeat a noun every time we wanted 
to refer to the same thing, the repetition would 
often grow monotonous. Instead of the nouns we 
use what we call pronouns, that is, words that 
stand for nouns. The commonest are: 7, we, you, he, 
she, it, they, who, that, which, myself, yourself, himself. 
Some pronouns have the same forms for singular and 
plural; those that show their number by their form 
have plurals entirely different from the singulars: 
/, we; he, they; she, they; it, they. 

Each pronoun has more forms than has the noun. 
WTien the pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence 
or as the predicate nominative, it is said to be in the 
nominative case — for example: 7 studied this lesson 
carefully. She gave me only a nickel. It was he, none the 
less. These are the forms we use when we are merely 
naming the pronouns, as in the list above. When the 
pronoun is used as the object of the verb it is said 
to be in the accusative or objective case — for instance : 
John beat me at tennis last night, I like him because he 
is always smiling, When our cat appeared the new dog 
chased her up a tree. We expect them for dinner to-night. 



176 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

Like nouns, pronouns have possessive forms, too— 
for instance, my, ijour, his, its. Note that there are 
no apostrophes m the possessives of the pronouns. 

(Students of languages will find that in other 
tongues nouns have all the oases given above for 
pronouns, and usually some others. If you wish to 
practise on the cases of nouns you have only to apply 
the explanation given in regard to pronouns.) 

Since the forms of the pronouns are so hard, a 
brief table of them follows. 



POSSESSIVE 


OBJECTIVE 


my, mine 


me 


our, ours 


us 


your, yours 


you 


his 


him 


her, hers 


her 


its 


it 


their, theirs 


them 


whose 


whom 



NOMINATIVE 

I 

we 

you 

he 

she 

it 

they 

who 



ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 

Nouns, pronouns, and verbs are the basic parts 
of sentences; other words are modifiers or connecting 
words. Modifiers of nouns and pronouns we call 
adjectives; those of verbs we call adverbs. In The 
energetic student gets his lesson quickly, energetic, modi- 
fying student, is an adjective: and quickly, indicating 
the time in which he gets it, is a m()(lifi(M- of the verb, 
that is, an adverb. This (hstinction is qnite impor- 
tant because it is so easy to use an adjective form to 
modify a verl) instead of using the corresponding ad- 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 177 

verb. An error of this sort at once marks one as either 
ignorant or thoughtless. The error is the easier to 
make because for every modifying idea we have both 
an adjective and an adverb. In most cases the ad- 
verb has been formed by adding ly to the adjective. 
Modifiers of adjectives and of adverbs are always 
adverbs. Perhaps it will be easiest to remember if 
we say that modifiers of nouns and pronouns are 
adjectives, and that all other modifiers are adverbs. 
So long as I am speaking of but one apple I can say 
This apple is sweet, but when someone hands me an- 
other better one and I wish to compare it with the 
first, I say, This apple is sweeter. Such forms as 
sweeter, indicating that one object has a quality in a 
higher degree than another object, are said to be in 
the comparative degree. Most comparative forms 
are made by adding er to the simple or positive form. 
When we wish to compare an object with two or more 
others which are inferior to it in a certain quality we 
use the superlative form. Thus, if somebody handed 
me a third apple, better than either of the others, I 
might say, This is the sweetest one of the three or, com- 
paring it with all the apples I have ever tasted, I 
might say, This is the sweetest apple I have ever tasted. 
The superlative form is made by adding est to the 
simple positive form. The comparative forms of 
most adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables 
are made by putting more before the positive forms, 
and the superlatives are made by putting most before 
the positive forms — e. g., more beautiful, most beautiful. 
A considerable number of two-syllable words — weary 
and lovely, for instance — may be compared either 



178 ENGLISH IN SERVICE [ Book 3 ] 

by adding er and est or by prefixing more and most. 
There are, besides, a few irregularly compared ad- 
jectives, such as good^ better, best; much, more, most. 

PREPOSITIONS 

Sometimes a phrase is introduced by a word called a 
preposition which shows the relation of the noun or 
pronoun of the phrase to some other word or words 
in the sentence. In The captain of the team praised 
Garland's tackle, of the team is clearly a phrase modi- 
fying captain. It is introduced by of, which also 
shows the relation between team and captain. Of is, 
therefore, a preposition. The verj^ name preposition 
means "placed before," and was given to indicate that 
the word immediately precedes a noun or pronoun. 
This noun or pronoun thus related by the preposition 
to another part of the sentence is called the object 
of the preposition. This is important, because when 
pronouns are used as the objects of prepositions they 
assume the same form as if they were the objects 
of verbs — e. g., I receive letters from him. 

The prepositions to and for are frequently omitted 
when they introduce phrases immediately following 
and modifying verbs — e. g., My father gave (to) me this 
book. I myself told (to) John yoiir telephone number. 
That sale has made (for) Harmon a reputation. The 
noun before which the preposition is omitted is then 
called the indirect object or dative object. 

CONJUNCTIONS 

Conjunctions are, as their name implies, joining 
words, i'liey always join two (or more) things of 



[ Booh 3 ] ENGLISH IN SERVICE 179 

the same general kind — e. g., two clauses, two 
phrases, two adjectives, two verbs, two nouns, two 
adverbs, or two adjectives. Conjunctions used to 
connect clauses usually show the relation between the 
clauses: and, or, hut, yet, called coordinating conjunc- 
tions, show that the clauses are independent of each 
other; all other conjunctions are subordinating and 
indicate that the clauses which they introduce are 
modifiers only. 



ENGLISH IN SERVICE 
COMPLETE 

INDEX 



INDEX 



The bold-face Roman numerals indicate the book to which reference is 
made. 



Acceptance, formal, I, 124 

Accusative, I, 89 

Active voice, II, 141, 143-144; HI, 

173 
Adams, Samuel, letter of, 11, 7 
Addams, Jane, 11, 184 
Addison, m, 94 
Address, envelope, I, 120; 11, 

84 
Adjectives, I, 129, 132-136, 164 ff.; 

n, 178-180; m, 176-177 

comparison of, 11, 178-180 

predicate, 1, 129, 135 
Adjective clauses, 11, 18-20 
Adverbs, I, 130-135, 164 ff.; HI. 

176-177 
Adverbial clauses, II, 20-22 
Advertisements, II, 23, 102, 158 
Aint, I, 66 
"Aladdin," m, 16 
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, HI, 10 
"Alice's Adventures in Wonder- 
land," I, 154 
Allegiance, pledge of. III, 2 
Allusions, n, 155 
"Altar Fire, The," HI, 91 
Am, I, 65, 66 
Analysis, I, 133, 191 
Animal stories, I, 60 
Appendix, grammar, HI, 164-179 
Appositives, m, 125-127 
"Arabian Nights Entertainments," 

I, 24; m, 82 
Argument, H, 166-188; IE, 29-34, 

51-53, 146-163 
"Arsenal at Springfield, The," II, 

175 
"Artificial Breathing," I, 98 
Athenian Oath, The, n, 71 



"Barmecide Feast, The." HI, 82 
Be, I, 130 

"Bell of Atri. The," I, 16 
Benson, Arthur Christopher, IQ, 

91 
Bexell and Nichols, I, 175 
Bishop, Joseph Bucklin, 11, 148 
Blackmore, R. D., 11, 23 
"Blazed Trail Stories," 11, 35 
Book Advertisement, 11, 23 
"Book of Bravery, The," H, 58 
"Book of Wonders, The," H, 146 
"Boy Life on the Prairie," m, 98 
"Boys of St. Timothy's," m, 3 
"Bridge-Builders, The," m, 29 
Bryant, William Cullen, m, 100 
"Bugle Song," m, 93 
Bulletin, Bureau of Education, 11, 

42 
Bureau of School Correspondence, 

m, 67 

"Business, First Lessons in," 1, 175 
Business Letters, 11, 75-80, 83-85, 
89-102 

"Cap o' Rushes," I, 54 

"Captains Courageous," 11, 134 

Carlyle, H, 55 

Carroll, Lewis, I, 156 

"Celebrated Jumping Frog, The," 
n, 25 

Choice of Words, m, 68-69, 73-76, 
82,87 

"Citizen, The," HI, 40 

Class meetings, I, 163, 171; H, 30, 
74, 170, 177; IH, 34, 52, 148, 
159, 160 

Clauses, dependent and indepen- 
dent, II, 10-13; m, 168; ad- 



INDEX 



jective, 11, 18-20; adverbial, 11, 
20-22 
Cleghorn, Sarah N., 1, 106 
Clemens, S. L., HI, 71 
Club organization, 11, 145; HI, 30- 

36 
Collective nouns, DI, 170 
Colon, use of, HI, 140 
Comma, in series, 11, 43-47; in 
direct quotations, II, 51-53; in 
compound sentences, 11, 59-61; 
in parenthetical expressions, 11, 
81-83; in explanatory expres- 
sions, n, 85-89; summary of 
uses of, n, 92; use of in partici- 
pial phrases, HI, 110; in apposi- 
tives, m, 126 
"Commemoration Ode/' II, 176 
Comparative degree, II, 179; IE, 

177 
Comparisons, 11, 138 
Comparison of adjectives, II, 178- 

180 
Completeness, I, 180 
Complex sentences, 11, 12-14, 18- 

22; m, 168 
Compound objects, I, 115 fT.; sub- 
jects, I, 115 ff. 
Compound sentences, 11, 10-11, 

13-14, 59-61; III, 168 
Conjugation, I, 69 
Conjunctions, 11, 10-14, 21-23; 

m, 178-179 
Constitution and by-laws for club, 

m, 31-34 
Correspondence between schools, 

m, 67 
Cox, Henry J., I, 23 
Criticism, standards of , 1, 23-24. 60, 
81, 95, 104, 151; n, 28. 35, 159, 
162; m, 3, 10, 50, 62, 101. 134, 
145, 157 
Critic's card, HI, 53. 66 

Dash, use of. m, 130-131 
"Deacon's Mjislorpiocc, Tiic," I, 

49 
Degree of adjectives and adverbs, 

III. 177 
Dependent clauses. II, 12 14. IS 

22; III, 16H 
Derivations, I, 61-62; II, 25 



Description, HI, 67-85, 89-94. 

123-125 
Details, choice of, I, 7-13, 20, 36- 

38, 55 ff.; n, 3, 151-154; HI, 6, 

16, 18, 24, 37 
Diaz, Abbv Morton, I, 113 
Dickens, Charles, I, 153; HI, 3, 15, 

162 
Dictation exercises, 11, 46; HI, 131- 

132, 136-138, 141-142 
Direct quotations, 11, 49-53 
"Discovering Myself," IE, 90 
Double negative, I, 183 
Doubledav, R., I, 200 

Drill, I, 32, 33, 34, 66, 67, 70, 71, 
72, 90, 92, 116, 117, 130. 132. 

133, 161. 165, 168, 167, 191, 192, 
193, 195; n, lOG, 117, 119-123, 
127, 143-144, 179-180; IH, 110- 
111, 116, 122, 126-127 
adjective, I, 165 

adjective or adverb, I, 132 S., 

164, 167 

adverb, I, 132, 133, 166, 167 
comparison, II, 179-180 
noun, I, 165 
phrase, I, 191-195 
predicate adjective, I, 130 
j)rep()sitional phrase, I, 191-195 
pronoun, I, 90, 92 fT., 116, 117, 

165, 193-195 
sentence sense, I, 32 ff. 
sentence structure, III, 110-111, 
116, 122, 126-127 

subject. I, 66. 67 
verb, I, 70, 71, 72; H, 106, 117, 
119-1-23, 127, 143-144 
ninnl.er of I. 72 ff. 
principal parts. H, 119-123 
sul)jeet and predicate, I, 70, 71 
tense II, 106. 117, 127 
voice, II, 143 144 
Dumas, Alexandre, III, 106 
DuPuy, Williaui Atherton, I, 171 
Dwyer, James Francis, III, 40 

Eurh of, I, 74 

Kdinl)u^^'h circular, 11, 67 
Kdi.son, Tlionias .\., II, 47 
Effective en<linus. II, 63-65 
Eggleston. Edward, 111,22 
Either nj, I, 74 



INDEX 



Emergencies, 11, 159 

Emphatic form, I, 71 

Envelope, address on, 1, 120; II, 84 

Every one of, I, 74 

Exclamation point, use of, HI, 

129—130 
Explanation, I, 159-189; 11, 135- 

163; m, 42-47, 59-62, 63-66, 

142-145 
Explanatory expressions, 11, 85-89 

Fables, I, 28 

Fabre, Jean Henri, I, 189 

"Falcon of Ser Federigo, The," 
n, 163 

"First Christmas Tree, The," m, 89 

"First Lessons in Business," I, 175 

Focusing attention in composi- 
tion, m, 6, 16, 18, 37, 123. 

"For Still the Lord is Lord of 
Might," n, 48 

"From Alien to Citizen," HI, 97 

Future tense, II, 114 

Games, language, I, 77, 100, 107, 
117, 135, 183, 184; H, 123-124; 
m, 80, 85 

Garland, Hamlin, HI, 98 

Gerunds, IH, 115-116 

"Gift, The," I, 45 

"Gift of the Magi, The," IE, 89 

Grammar appendix, m, 164-179 

"Grandmother's Story of Bunker 
Hill," n, 25 

"Graysons, The," HI, 18 

Habberton, John, I, 144 

Hagedorn, Hermann, HI, 154 

Hall, Hershel, H, 145 

Harte, Bret, IH, 89 

Have no, I, 183 

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, II, 151 

"Helen's Babies," I, 144 

Henry, O., H, 17; HI, 89 

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, I, 53 

Homer, III, 100 

"Horatius at the Bridge," II, 162 

"House of the Seven Gables, The," 
II, 151 

"How a Fast Train Is Run," I, 196 

"How Santa Claus Came to Sim- 
son's Bar," m, 89 



"How They Succeeded," 11, 130 
How-to-Study Directions for Writ- 
ten Composition, I, 162 
"Hugh Wynne," 11, 8 
Hugo, Victor, H, 132 
Hull House, II, 184 

7, 1, 65, 68-69 

Ibanez, Vincente Blasco, HL 92 
"Iliad, The," m, 100 
Incomplete sentence, I, 31-35 
Independent clauses,II, 12;III, 168 
Indirect quotations, II, 50-53 
Infinitives, HI, 120-122; in -ing, 

m, 115-116 
Interesting derivations, I, 61-62; 

n,25 

Inventions, stories of, I, 97 
Invitations, formal, I, 123 
Irregular plurals. III, 170 
Irregular verbs, 11, 119-120; HI, 

174-175 
Irrelevant details, II, 151-154 
Irving, Washington, III, 89 
Is, are, I, 62 

Jerome, Jerome K., HI, 6 
Jokes, I, 156; HE, 5 
"Juggling with Trees," I, 169 

"Kate Barlass," 11, 53 
Kellogg, Mrs. Vernon, II, 87 
Kelly, Myra, HI, 102 
Kipling, Rudyard, 11, 134; m, 29 

"Land of Counterpane, The," I, 

104 
Language games, I, 77, 100, 107, 

117, 135, 183, 184; H, 123-124; 

m, 80, 85 
"Last Days of Pompeii, The" HI, 

105 
"Lay of the Last Minstrel, The," 

n, 29 
"Lays of Ancient Rome," 11, 162 
Leighton, Frederick, HI, 34 
Leisure reading, I, 6, 24, 26, 30, 41, 

43, 44, 97, 124, 148; II, 8, 17, 25, 

29, 89, 111, 130, 134, 146, 151, 

159, 163, 185; HI, 3, 10, 17, 25-26. 

29, 41, 89, 97, 98, 102, 105, 107, 

114, 128, 148, 162 



INDEX 



"Les Miserables," H, 132 
Letters, business, H, 75-80, 83-85 

89-102; social, I, 109-125 
"Letters of a Woman Homesteader, 

The," m, 26 
Lincoln, a story of. III, 18 
Literatm-e, how to study, III, 

43-44 
"Little Citizens," m, 102 
"Little Rivers," HI, 75-92 
"Lochinvar," 11, 27 
"Locksley Hall," 11, 111 
Longfellow, H. W., I, 16; 11, 163, 

176; m, 76 
"Lorna Doone," 11, 23 
Lowell, James Russell, H, 162, 177; 

m, 25, 147, 163 

Macaulay, Thomas B., 11, 162 
Mail order business, description of, 

n, 96-97 
Mail service, 11, 8 
"Making of an American, The," 

II, 3; m, 97 
Marden, Orison Swett, 11, 130 
Martin, George Madden, HI, 102 
May, I, 183 
Memorial Day program, II, 174- 

178 
Memory work, I, 83; 11, 48, 74, 

110, 162, 182; HI, 24, 101, 119, 

147, 163 
"Merlin and the Gleam," H, 182 
"Merrv Men, The," m, 91 
Mitchell, S. Weir, H, 8 
Model letters, I, 110; II, 76-77 
Modifiers, I, 129, 165 
Modifying clauses, H, 18-22 
Money, ways of sending, EI, 93-94 
Morgan, Angela, I, 84 
Muir, John, U, 87, 89; m, 25 

Narration, I, 2-108, 126-158; II, 
1-10. 14-17, 22-29, 31-39, 47 
49, 53 58, 61-65, 103-111, 129- 
134; m, 1 29. 36-41, 86 89, 95- 
98, 99 lOS, in; 119. 127-129, 
138 IK) 

"New Arabian Nighls, The." Ill, 
107 

"New England Weather." Ill, 71 

Newspaper, sttidy of. Ill, 52, 51 Mi 



"Nicholas Nickleby," HI, 3 
Nominative, I, 89; predicate, I, 

91, 100, 107 
Nouns, I, 89, 165; III, 169-170 
Number, verbs, I, 64 ff. 

Objects, of verb, I, 88, 89; of pre- 
position, I, 191; compound, I, 
115-118 

Objective forms, I, 89, 191 

"Ode on the Death of the Duke of 
Wellington," m, 24 

"Old Indian Days," I, 26 

Opinions, 11, 180-183 

Order, I, 139, 141, 172, 174, 177, 
182; n, 35, 110, 150, 151-154; 
m, 2, 24, 119, 133-134 

Order letters, 11, 92-100 

"Other Wise Men, The," HI, 89 

"Panama Canal of To-day, The," 

n, 148-149 
Paradise. Viola, 11, 97 
Paragraph, studv of. I, 139; HI, 

45, 48-50, 56-58, 90-92 
Parenthetical oqpressions, H, 81- 

83 
Parliamentarv procedure, H, 168; 

m, 34-36 ^ 
Participles. HI, 108-111 
Passive voice. H, 141-144; HI, 173 
Past tense, H, 105-107 
Perfect tenses, H, 114-118, 124- 

125 
Person. I, 69 

"Pete of the Steel Mills." H, 145 
Phrases. I, 191 tf.; HI, 167-168 
"Pickwick Papers, The," HI, 15, 

162 
Placing modifying clauses, U, 18 
Pledge of allegiance. A, HI, 2. 
Plural. I, 65. 77 
Poems. I, .3-6, 16. 49. 83, 104, 106; 

n, 27. 48, 110, 162. 175-177, 

182; m, 16, 24-25. 75-79, 93- 

9^. 100 101. 119. 147. 163 
Possessive forms. HI, 170 
P(>sitivt' degree. H, 179 
'•Prayer. A." H, 108 
Predicate. I, 70; adjective, I, 129, 

130. 135; nominative. I, »1, 100, 

107 



INDEX 



5 



Prepositions, I, 191 fF.; HI, 178 
Prepositional phrase, I, 191 ff. 
Present tense, I, 69; II, 105 
Progressive tenses, I, 71; 11, 125- 

127 
"Prometheus," m, 25 
"Promised Land, The," I, 6 
Pronouns, I, 89, 90, 92 ff., 165, 

190; m, 175, 176 
Punctuation; comma, 11, 43-47, 

51-53, 59-61, 81-83, 85-87; 

in, 110, 126; quotation marks, 

I, 49-53; exclamation point, 

m, 129; dash, IE, 130-132; 

semicolon. III, 135-138; colon, 

m, 140-142 

Quotations, direct and indirect, 
n, 49-53 

"Ransom of Red Chief, The," H, 
17 

Recommendation, letter of, 11, 
89-91 

Red Letter Day program, 11, 70, 
177 

Refusal, letter of, 11, 98 

Regular and irregular verbs, 11, 
118-119; m, 174-175 

Relevant details, IE, 151-154 

"Return of Sherlock Holmes, The," 
n, 159 

Riis, Jacob, 11, 3; HI, 97 

"Roosevelt's Letters to his Chil- 
dren," m, 25 

"Saint R. L. S.," 1, 106 

Saw, I, 183 

Scale ratings, m, 41, 75, 96, 98, 

119, 125 
"School Days, In," I, 3 
"Schoolmaster, The," I, 5 
Scientific phenomena, reports on, 

n, 140 

Scientific terms, 11, 145 

Scott, Sir Walter, 11, 28-29; HI, 

128 
Scrapbook, I, 156; II, 47 
Seem, appear, feel, taste, I, 130 
Semicolon, use of, HI, 135-138 
Sentence, recognition of, I, 31-35; 

structure, II, 8-22, 59-61; defi- 



nition of. III, 164; parts of. III, 

165; kinds of, IH, 168-169; 

variety in structure of, HI, 99- 

105, 108-111, 115-116, 120-122, 

125-127 
Seton, Ernest Thompson, I, 59 
Shaw, Anna Howard, III, 26 
"Silverspot," I, 58 
"Singing Spirit, The," I, 26 
Singular, I, 65, 77 
"Sketch Book, The," IE, 89 
Slogans, n, 130 
"Small Towns and Big Roads," II, 

169 
"Spacious Firmament, The," IH, 

94 
Speed in reading, I, 45 
"Spiders," 1, 186 
Standards of criticism, I, 23-24, 

60, 81, 95, 104, 151; II, 28, 35, 

159, 162; m, 3, 10, 50, 62, 101, 

134, 145, 157 
Standards of excellence, 11, 187; 

determination of. III, 3, 58-59 
Stevenson, Robert Louis, I, 104; 

n, 38, 48, 108; HI, 91, 107 
Stewart, Elinore Pruitt, III, 26 
"Stories of Inventors," I, 196 
"Story of a Bad Boy, The," IH, 

10 
"Story of a Pioneer, The," HI, 26 
"Story of My Boyhood and 

Youth," m, 25 
"Students' Handbook of Parlia- 
mentary Law," in, 34 
Study, effective methods of, I, 

159-163; m, 42-47 
Subject, I, 65, 129; compound, I, 

115 
Subordinate conjunctions, II, 21 
Superlative degree, IE, 179; III, 

177 
Synonyms, IH, 28, 80, 85-86, 87- 

89 

"Tales of the Canterbury Pilgrims, 
The," I, 30 

Tennyson, Alfred, H, 111, 182; 
m, 24, 93 

Tense, present and past, 11, 105- 
107; future, II, 114; present per- 
fect, 1, 114-118; past perfect, II, 



6 



INDEX 



124-125; progressive, 11, 125- 

127; summary, 11, 127-128; HI, 

171-172 Thou, I, 65 
"Three Men in a Boat," IH, 6 
"Three Musketeers, The," m, 106 
Topic sentence, HI, 45, 48-50, 

60-61 
Twain, Mark, 11, 25; m, 71 
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under 

the Sea," 11, 111 
"Twenty Years at Hull House," 

n, 185 

"Under the Old Elm," m, 163 
"Up from Slavery," m, 26 

Van Dyke. Henry, HI, 75, 89, 92 

Varietv in sentence structure, IH, 
99-105, 108-111, 115-116, 120- 
122. 125, 127 

Verbal nouns, HI, 115-116 

Verbs, I, 66; HI, 171-175; number, 
I, 71; regular and irregular, H, 
118-119; principal parts, H, 119- 
120; voice of, E, 141-144; tense, 
n, 105-107, 114-118, 124-128, 

Verne, Jules, H, 111 

"Vision of Sir Launfal, The," HI, 
147 

Vocabulary building, I, 26, 61, 94, 
96, 103, 106, 174, 181; U, 25, 
32, 62, 80, 98-99, 103-104, 145, 
150; m, 28, 01, 68-69, 80, 85, 
87-89, 96, 98, 114, 144-145 



Vocabulary clerk, H, 58; HI, 17, 62, 
107 

Vocations, study of, H, 39-43, 65- 

70 
Voice of verbs, E, 141-144; EI, 

173 

"Walden," excerpt from, EI, 104 

"Wandering Heroes," I, 35 

Walter, Howard Arnold, EI, 119 

Was, were, I, 62 

Washington, Booker T., ET, 26 

White, Stewart Edward, E, 35 

Whittier, John Greenleaf, I, 3, 5 

TT7/o(7/0, I, 184 

"Who Am I?" I, 80 

"Wild Animals I Have Known," 

I, 59 
"William Henrv Letters, The," 

I, 113 
"Winning His Y," IE, 3 
"Winter Allies," IE, 49 
Woods Hutchinson, I, 99 
Word study, I, 26, 61-62, 94, 96. 

103, 106, 174, 181; E, 25, 32, 62. 

80, 98-99, 103-104, 145. 150: 

IE, 28, 61, 68-69, 80, 85, 87-89, 

96, 98.114, 144-145 
"Work: A Song of Triumph," I, 83 
"Write" Procedure, The, I, 126 

You, I, 65 
"You Are the Hope of the World," 

m, 154 



Supplementary Reading 

Tales from Birdland. By T. Gilbert Pearson. 

Ten charming stories of bird life and the out-of-doors for 
fifth grade pupils. Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull. 

The Spirit of America. Edited by A. R. Brubacher and 
Jane L. Jones. 
Three volumes for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, 
offering choice selections from American literature, history, 
and biography. Profuse half-tone illustration. 

Selected Stories from O. Henry. Edited by C. Alphonso 

Smith. 
Selected Stories from Kipling. Edited by William Lyon 

Phelps. 

The following titles are from our regular book list. 
Each volume is a recognized standard in juvenile liter- 
ature. 

Bob, Son of Battle. By Alfred Ollivant. 
Pierrot: Dog of Belgium. By Walter A. Dyer. 
Prince Jan — St. Bernard. By Forrestine C. Hooker. 
Captains Courageous. By Rudyard Kipling. 
The Jungle Book. By Rudyard Kipling. 
The Second Jungle Book. By Rudyard Kipling. 
Just So Stories. By Rudyard Kipling. 
Kim. By Rudyard Kipling. 
Puck of Pook's Hill. By Rudyard Kipling. 
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. By Selma Lagerlof . 
Further Adventures of Nils. By Selma Lagerlof. 



Frank of Freedom Hill. By Samuel A. Derieux. 

Little Heroes of France. By Kathleen Burke. 

Young Heroes of Britain and Belgium. By Kathleen 

Burke. 
Adventures in Beaver Stream Camp. By A. Radclyffe 

Dugmore. 
Two Boys in Beaver -Land. By A. Radclyffe Dugmore. 
The Ransom of Red Chief and Other O. Henry Stories 

for Boys. Edited by Frederick K. Mathiews. 
The Boy 'Forty -Niners. By Everett McNeil. 
The Book of Woodcraft. By Ernest Thompson Seton. 
Wild Animals at Home. By Ernest Thompson Seton. 
Wild Animal Ways. By Ernest Thompson Seton. 
A Champion of the Foothills. By Lewis Edwin Theiss. 
The Spartan. By Caroline Dale Snedeker. 
Captain Sylvia. By Marion Ames Taggart. 
Hollyhock House. By Marion Ames Taggart. 
The Fairy Ring. By Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora 

Archi})al(l Smith. 
The Posy Ring. By Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora 

Archibald Smitli. 
Golden Numbers. By Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora 

Ar('liil)al(i Smith. 
The Story of Ab. By Stanley Waterloo. 
Myths Every Child Should Know. Edited by Hamilton 

W. :\Ial)ie. 
Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know. Edited by 

Hamilton W. Mabie. 

Price* ami ili.frounl.f on request. 

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 

Ganlon Citv New York 



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